Naithan George held scoreless across season-low 22 minutes in Hofstra loss
Naithan George struggled in Syracuse's 70-69 loss to Hofstra, missing all four of his field goal attempts and scoring zero points. Christian Calabrese | Staff Photographer
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Naithan George has battled the flu since Monday. Syracuse head coach Adrian Autry said on Thursday a few players on the team were sick amid its nine-day break. From George’s teammate Nate Kingz’s perspective, the point guard had it “pretty bad.”
George woke up Saturday morning feeling a bit better. He said it was just his throat that was still sore. But if his Saturday evening was any indication, George hadn’t fully shaken off its effects yet.
In Syracuse’s (6-4, Atlantic Coast) 70-69 upset loss to Hofstra (8-4, Coastal Athletic), George turned in his worst performance since joining the Orange. He was held scoreless for the first time in his college career and played a season-low 22 minutes, riding the bench as the Pride pulled away in the closing minutes.
The junior came over to SU from ACC foe Georgia Tech in the transfer portal after leading the conference in assists. As the maestro of the offense, George was brought in by head coach Adrian Autry to orchestrate Syracuse’s scoring efforts with J.J. Starling and Donnie Freeman returning. He did that early, with three games of seven assists or more.
Yet in his last six games, as SU’s schedule has heated up, George has averaged four assists per game and shot 3-for-19 from 3. Saturday was the nadir of his struggles.
“I guess you can say I’m still adjusting,” George said.
In facing Hofstra, the Orange were taking on the squad they acquired their last point guard from. Jaquan Carlos had his own troubles in a Syracuse uniform last season, necessitating a point guard like George to run the show.
When Carlos left the Pride, they replaced him with Cruz Davis, who has emerged as a star and dropped a game-high 22 points versus SU. George, on the other hand, played more like the ghost of Carlos.
He took just four shots, with three coming from beyond the arc. All missed the mark.
George has an innate tendency to avoid taking many shots. He describes himself as a “really unselfish guy.” When he drives and kicks the ball out to a teammate, he always feels it’s a better shot. Though he still understands the weight of being a point guard, knowing that the “better shot” might just be the one he can take. He sees this dichotomy as a gray area, searching for the balance between finding his shot and finding his teammates’ shots.
“I gotta be more aggressive because I’m known as a passer,” George said. “But if I can score, then they gotta guard me, (and) it’s gonna open up the pass and make it easier. So I definitely need to score more.
George blamed his recent issues on his hesitancy. He said he must be more confident in his game and every decision he makes. Early against Hofstra, he displayed the benefits that can come with such confidence.
On back-to-back possessions in the first half, George found William Kyle III for an inside finish and then Tyler Betsey for 3. The two scores put SU up 20-16. Right before halftime, George dished it to Sadiq White Jr., who finished inside to give Syracuse a 37-36 lead at the break.
The Orange broke out of the gates further in the second half off of George’s facilitating. Forty seconds in, George hit Kingz for a 3-pointer. Over a minute later, the duo connected again, as Kingz flushed another off a pass from George to push Syracuse’s lead to seven.
Postgame, Kingz revealed that he and George often play one-on-one to sharpen each other’s games. He believes the way for George to break out of his scoring rut is to continue what they’ve been doing consistently in the gym.
As Hofstra flipped the game in its favor midway through the second half, George was then placed on the bench. George was substituted out for freshman Kiyan Anthony with 7:41 to play and the Orange trailing by six. Autry said he felt J.J. Starling and Anthony had a “better flow of the game” to close out, opting to make his star point guard a spectator.
When asked how his staff and roster can help George rediscover his game, Autry instead pointed to Syracuse’s overall defensive troubles. Autry said SU knew Hofstra’s guards could shoot, yet SU’s guards didn’t close out on them. The Pride finished with 12 triples, the most the Orange have allowed all season.
As George watched the final minutes dwindle by, Hofstra jumped out to a lead as large as 10. Syracuse battled back with an 11-0 run, but the Pride’s 3-pointer with 34 seconds left was the nail in the coffin.
At Syracuse’s media day on Oct. 15, Autry said George was so coveted because he didn’t need to be taught the position, and was already proven at a Power Four level. His tune changed Saturday, as Autry said — with a new system and a tough schedule — George is learning things on the fly. George feels similarly.
“That’s definitely a thing when you’re transferring, there’s gonna be a time where things get tough,” George said. “It’s not always greener on the other side, but you’re gonna get hit with adversity, and you gotta be able to overcome it. That’s what’s going on right now.”
Syracuse’s offense plays better when George is at his peak. As Donnie Freeman missed his sixth-straight game due to injury, the Orange’s offense has become a stagnant group with little movement.
Kingz, as one of the outside threats on the team, said George’s versatility to find scorers opens up things for everyone. Kyle, who showed an instant connection with George early through his lob passes, added that George often controls the pace of the game and is the disruptor of opposing defenses.
SU’s center said the squad knows what George is capable of and they haven’t lost confidence in him. He feels George isn’t going to get down on himself, and he hasn’t yet.
Fighting through an illness isn’t easy, but the Orange needed George to. He couldn’t, and as a result, Syracuse dropped a game it shouldn’t have and diminished its NCAA Tournament resume further. But nonetheless, Autry remains confident in his point guard.
“I’m not worried about Nait. He’ll get it together. We will get it together,” Autry said.
