Incoming freshman Jackson Smith is Penn State's first player in school history to be selected in the first round of the NHL draft

And with that pick the 7-foot, 250-pound center became the first Penn State player ever taken in the first round of the NBA Draft. He also became the first Nittany Lions player selected since both Jalen Pickett (Denver) and Seth Lundy (Atlanta) were taking in 2023.

The Los Angeles Clippers selected Penn State's Yanic Konan Niederhauser in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft.