Basketball is funny. One year you're a backup in the MAC, and the next, you're the first-ever first-round draft pick in Penn State history.
Honestly, if you haven't been tracking Yanic Konan Niederhauser stats, you've missed one of the most absurd developmental leaps in recent memory. We aren't just talking about a guy getting more minutes. We are talking about a 7-foot-1 Swiss big man who went from averaging 2.2 points at Northern Illinois to becoming a defensive anchor for the Los Angeles Clippers in the span of roughly 24 months.
He's a bit of a unicorn. Or maybe just a late bloomer who finally found a system that let him run.
The Breakthrough: 2024-25 Penn State Explosion
Most people first noticed him when he touched down in State College. Before that? Crickets. But at Penn State, everything clicked.
During the 2024-25 season, the numbers were eye-popping. He wasn't just "good for a transfer." He was elite. He averaged 12.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, and a staggering 2.3 blocks per game. That block rate actually led the Big Ten. Think about that for a second. In a conference known for massive, bruising centers, a kid from Fraschels, Switzerland, was the one swatting everything in sight.
His efficiency was the real kicker, though. He shot 61.1% from the floor. He wasn't out there taking bad shots. He was a lob threat, a rim runner, and a guy who knew exactly where his bread was buttered.
Why NBA Scouts Fell in Love
The NBA is obsessed with "measurables," and Yanic has them in spades.
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At the 2025 NBA Draft Combine, he measured just a hair under 7 feet barefoot with a massive 7-foot-3.25 wingspan. But it’s the verticality that scares people. He recorded a 37-inch max vertical. For a guy weighing 242 pounds, that’s basically physics-defying.
The Clippers saw the vision. They took him 30th overall in the 2025 Draft.
Current NBA Production (2025-26 Season)
He isn't a starter yet—not with Ivica Zubac and Brook Lopez ahead of him—but he’s making the most of the "garbage time" and spot starts.
As of January 2026, he’s appeared in 21 games. He's averaging 2.9 points and 2.0 rebounds in about 8 minutes a night.
Don't let the low averages fool you.
On New Year's Day 2026, he got a real chance against the Utah Jazz. He played 27 minutes, put up 6 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and blocked 2 shots. He was a +18 in that game. That’s the "Swiss Army Knife" potential everyone keeps talking about.
The Northern Illinois "Dark Ages"
It's sorta wild to look back at his freshman year.
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- 2022-23: 20 games, 2.2 PPG, 1.5 RPG.
- 2023-24: 27 games, 7.3 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 2.1 BPG.
He was always a shot-blocker. Even when he couldn't buy a bucket at NIU, he was still 27th in the nation in blocks per game during his sophomore year. The raw tools were there; they were just buried under a lack of confidence and a slower pace of play.
What Most People Get Wrong About His Game
Everyone sees the height and assumes he’s a traditional "back-to-the-basket" center.
He's not.
Yanic is much more of a modern "rim protector/lob finisher" archetype, similar to Daniel Gafford or Jaxson Hayes. If you try to feed him in the post and wait for a hook shot, you’re doing it wrong. He thrives in space. He wants to set a screen, dive to the rim, and tear the basket down.
The biggest weakness? The jump shot.
He shot 9.1% from three at Penn State. Yeah, you read that right. Basically, if he's outside the paint, he's not a threat yet. But his free-throw stroke is actually decent—hovering around 66%—which suggests there’s a world where he eventually hits a corner trey.
The Path Forward: What’s Next for Yanic?
If you're a Clippers fan or a dynasty fantasy owner, you're playing the long game here.
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He’s currently the third-string center, which means his stats will stay modest for most of 2026. However, his per-36-minute numbers are borderline All-Star levels. He is a high-motor, high-IQ defender who doesn't need the ball to be impactful.
Keep an eye on his G-League stints with the San Diego Clippers. When he gets 30+ minutes there, he regularly puts up 15 and 10 with 3 or 4 blocks. That's the player he'll be in the NBA by 2027.
If you want to track his progress, watch the "Stocks" (Steals + Blocks). If he stays above 2 blocks per 36 minutes at the NBA level, he’s going to have a 10-year career. The scoring will come as he gets stronger, but the rim protection is already league-ready.
To get a better feel for his impact, look beyond the box score at his "Defensive Rating." At Penn State, it was a stellar 100.2. In the NBA, he's already showing that same ability to alter shots without fouling, which is the hardest skill for a young big to learn.
Watch the Clippers' injury report; the moment Zubac or Lopez sits, Yanic is a "must-watch" for anyone who likes old-school defensive dominance in a new-school athletic frame.