Gonzaga’s Ryan Nembhard named to Wooden Top 20 watch list

Ryan Nembhard’s recent accomplishments have placed the point guard at the top of Gonzaga’s record book and haven’t gone unnoticed nationally.

Days after breaking his single-season school assists record, Nembhard was one of 20 players named to the Wooden Award midseason watch list on Tuesday.

The 20 players named to the list are considered to be front-runners for the Wooden Award All-American Team, as well as the Wooden Award Most Outstanding Player.

Nembhard’s selection comes three days after he recorded eight assists during Gonzaga’s 78-61 victory at Pacific to surpass his single-season program record of 238 set last season.

Nembhard still ranks first nationally in total assists (246) and assist per game (9.8), with an assist-to-turnover ratio (4.39) that ranks second in the country.

With six regular-season games remaining and at least one in the West Coast Conference Tournament, Nembhard needs to average only 5.4 apg to catch former Saint Mary’s point guard Emmett Naar for the conference record set in 2018.

By averaging 7.7 apg the rest of the way, Nembhard would become just the 21st player in NCAA Division I history to register 300 assists in a single season. The Toronto native already became the first player in the country this season to reach both 100 and 200 assists.

Along with his 9.8 apg, Nembhard is also averaging 11.0 points and 3.2 rebounds for the Bulldogs.

Others on the watch list include Rutgers’ Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper, Auburn’s Johni Broome, Florida’s Walter Clayton Jr., Kansas’ Hunter Dickinson, Villanova’s Eric Dixon, Duke’s Cooper Flagg, Iowa State’s Keshon Gilbert and Curtis Jones, Memphis’ PJ Haggerty, Illinois’ Kasparas Jakucionis, Marquette’s Kam Jones, Creighton’s Ryan Kalkbrenner, Connecticut’s Alex Karaban, Stanford’s Maxime Raynaud, Tennessee’s Chaz Lanier, Alabama’s Mark Sears, West Virginia’s Javon Small and Purdue’s Braden Smith.