Yanic Konan Niederhauser and Mackenzie Mgbako early NBA Draft Combine standouts

The NBA Draft Combines started this past weekend, with the G League Elite Camp going first. Dozens of players participated, including many former college basketball players with no eligibility left. However, depending on how things go, some did have the option to return to college.

Two of them were Yanic Konan Niederhauser, the starting forward at Penn State, and Mackenzie Mgbako, a former 5-star prospect who spent the last two years at Indiana. He entered the college basketball transfer portal before picking Texas A&M for next season.

However, that’s IF Mgbako comes back to college. Both he and Niederhauser were two of the biggest standouts from the Elite Camp and received invites to participate in the regular NBA Draft Combine, taking on the top prospects and much more elevated competition. This means that both players could see their stocks drop to the point where they have to come back, or things continue to move in a direction where they end up staying in the 2025 NBA Draft.

What if Niederhauser stays in the NBA Draft?

Penn State didn’t qualify for the Big Ten Tournament last season and lost most of its production this offseason. They haven’t done much in the portal, especially in the frontcourt. If Niederhauser stays in the draft, the Nittany Lions wouldn’t have any non-freshmen in their frontcourt, having to rely on incoming freshmen Ivan Juric and Justin Houser for major minutes next season.

What if Mgbako stays in the NBA Draft?

Mgabko is the prize offseason pickup for new Aggie HC Bucky McMillian, looking to compete in the SEC next season. His leaving doesn’t hurt as much since he never played for Texas A&M, but on paper, he’s the top projected scorer on the roster. This puts pressure on Kansas transfer Rylan Griffen to get back to his form at Alabama. Plus, the four-spot now would look more tenuous.