CHICAGO — Utah State's award-winning and record-setting center topped the measurement charts Tuesday at the NBA Draft Combine.
Neemias Queta is the only player from a Utah school participating in the combine. He was among 68 other prospects invited for a chance to demonstrate their value this week ahead of the draft, which takes place July 31.
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According to Chad Ford with ESPN, Queta was the tallest participant (6' 11.24" without shoes), had the longest wingspan (7' 4"), and the tallest standing reach (9' 4.5").
Queta declared for the 2019 draft after his freshman year at USU, but he withdrew before the deadline. He returned for two more seasons with the Aggies.
Draft analyst Jonathan Givony said Queta "had an awesome first day... shooting the ball well, making some nice passes and showing terrific timing and instincts defensively. Definitely one of the standouts of the day."
Utah State's Neemias Queta had an awesome first day at the NBA Combine, shooting the ball well, making some nice passes and showing terrific timing and instincts defensively. Definitely one of the standouts of the day. pic.twitter.com/dajrVbZwi8
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) June 23, 2021
"His rebounding, shot-blocking and assist numbers are all really intriguing. He doesn’t have the quickest feet, which could limit his defensive versatility, but there are so many positives that he deserves a look in the late first round," Ford added in a scouting report.
Queta, a 21-year-old from Portugal, received several postseason awards in his three seasons with the Aggies, including being named the Mountain West Conference Defensive Player of the Year twice (2019, 2021), second-team all-conference team twice (2019, 2020), first-team all-conference (2021), freshman of the year (2019).
In his junior year at USU (2020-21), he was also given an AP All-American Honorable Mention, was one of four finalists for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year award, and was named the Defensive Player of the Year by Bleacher Report.
He also finished the season with an NCAA-best 97 blocks, which also broke the single-season record at Utah State. He also holds the second-place spot on the school records with 84 blocks in his freshman year (2018-19).
Queta recorded 219 total blocks in his career, shattering the previous school record of 155 set by Gilbert Pete from 1986-89.
