Yanic Konan Niederhäuser
Yanic Konan Niederhäuser is a Swiss professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association. He played college basketball for the Northern Illinois Huskies and the Penn State Nittany Lions.
Early life and high school career
Niederhäuser was born in Bern, Switzerland, to a German-speaking father and a mother of Ivorian descent. His middle name, Konan, was chosen by his father after the titular character played by Arnold Schwarzenegger in the film Conan the Barbarian; Niederhäuser includes his middle name on his jersey. Niederhäuser was raised in Fräschels and started playing basketball at the age of 10 in Neuchâtel.During the 2021–22 season, Niederhäuser played for Ehingen Urspring, a professional German club, on both its youth team and its German Pro A League squad. After the season, he committed to play college basketball in the United States for the Northern Illinois Huskies.
College career
Northern Illinois
As a freshman in 2022–23, Niederhäuser played in 20 games with two starts, averaging 2.2 points and 1.5 rebounds per game. During the 2023–24 season, he made 26 starts, averaging 7.3 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. After the 2023–24 season, Niederhäuser entered his name into the NCAA transfer portal.Penn State
Niederhäuser transferred to play for the Penn State Nittany Lions. On 30 January 2025, he notched 21 points, five rebounds and a block in a loss to Ohio State. During the 2024–25 season, Niederhauser recorded 12.9 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game, while shooting 61% from the field, where after the season he entered his name into the 2025 NBA draft. He also accepted invites to participate in NBA G League Elite Camp and the NBA scouting combine.Professional career
On 25 June 2025, Niederhäuser was selected last in the first round, with the 30th pick by the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2025 NBA draft.National team career
Niederhäuser first represented Switzerland at the youth level during the 2021 FIBA U18 European Challengers competition. He averaged 10.3 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game by the end of the tournament. In 2022, with the U20 national team at the 2022 FIBA U20 European Championship Division B, he averaged 6.6 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.7 blocks during the event. In July 2023, Niederhäuser returned to the U20 national team for the 2023 FIBA U20 European Championship Division B. He finished with averages of 7.7 points, 4.4 rebounds and two blocks per game.Following Niederhäuser's stint at the youth level in July 2023, he was named to the senior Switzerland national team later that month, for the third round of EuroBasket 2025 pre-qualifiers. In his two games against Kosovo and Denmark, he averaged 11.5 points, three rebounds and two blocks per game.