Nate Kingz is Syracuse’s glue. Saturday was his deserved moment.
Nate Kingz’s driving layup with two seconds left lifted SU past SMU 79-78. His first game-winner was a long time coming. Tara Deluca | Asst. Photo Editor
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Basketball is Nate Kingz’s safe haven.
He bounced around foster homes as a child. Kingz went to the Salvation Army recreation center daily to build a community, growing his talent in the process. So as Syracuse trailed by one with seconds to play Saturday, and head coach Adrian Autry drew up a play for Kingz, this wasn’t pressure. It’s where he feels at home.
“I feel like I’ve been alone most of my life in terms of trying to get it out of the mud with basketball,” Kingz said.
Kingz’s driving layup with two seconds remaining gave Syracuse (15-11, 6-7 Atlantic Coast) a 79-78 win over SMU (17-8, 6-6 Atlantic Coast), its second in a row and best in conference play. In his first season with the Orange, Kingz has become their glue. He takes on the opposition’s best guard defensively. In conference play he’s shooting 41.1% from 3 while averaging 13 points per game.
Postgame, Kingz said this was his first-ever game winner. This was a deserved moment.
“It feels the same as when I was playing (at the Salvation Army),” Kingz said with a gleaming smile. “Playing freely and no worry in the world.”
The Orange trailed by 12 points with 12 minutes to go. Fast-forward to 13.9 seconds remaining, and Syracuse trailed by one with possession. In the huddle, Kingz thought Autry would draw up the play for SU leading scorer Donnie Freeman. Instead, Autry looked to him.
Point guard Naithan George delivered the ball to Kingz at the top of the key with seven seconds to go, switching SMU’s Boopie Miller — a six-foot guard — on to him. William Kyle III sealed off his defender on the right side to free up the lane. Kingz drove on Miller along the left side, backing him down and euro-stepping to his left hand for the layup.
Jaron Pierre Jr. attempted a last-second heave, but it went off the mark. Kingz won the game.
Autry said postgame he was very confident Kingz would at least get a shot off with the drawn up play. For Kingz, he estimated the play had a “80% success rate” if executed perfectly, adding it’s one of his favorite plays. This time, it worked like a charm.
Nate Kingz converted a driving layup with two seconds left to complete Syracuse’s comeback win over SMU Saturday. Tara Deluca | Asst. Photo Editor
Once Pierre’s shot missed and the buzzer sounded, teammates rushed to Kingz. The guard walked toward mid-court and looked into the crowd, taking in the moment. As Autry put it, Kingz never gets too high or too low.
His college career began with Westmont of the NAIA before moving to the JUCO level at Southern Idaho. Kingz moved back home to Oregon State for a Division I opportunity but tore his ACL the summer before the 2023-24 season.
In May of 2024, Kingz changed his last name from Meithof — the name of his adopted family — to Kingz. It’s a childhood nickname, and a way for Kingz to forge his own legacy while putting childhood troubles in the past. Kingz recovered from his ACL injury, excelled with the Beavers, shooting 44.6% from beyond the arc. A move to Syracuse then was the next step.
Kingz said his upbringing taught him to work hard and make no excuses in life. He used Dragon Ball Z characters Goku and Vegeta as role models, leaning into the message as they faced internal and external battles.
The idea became more important as Kingz’s SU career began poorly, shooting just 31.8% from 3 in 13 nonconference games. He didn’t dwell on it.
“What I love about Nate, what he embodies, is he’s not about to talk,” Autry said. “He’s not about famous quotes or any of this stuff. He rolls his sleeves up every day, goes to work, and when things don’t go his way or our way, he keeps working.”
Kingz felt a mindset shift ahead of Syracuse’s game against Boston College on Jan. 17. He accepted he would make mistakes and wouldn’t play perfect every game. The change put Kingz in attack mode, becoming the aggressor. He dropped 27 points on five 3-pointers against the Eagles. A few weeks later, he scored 28 against Notre Dame. Versus Cal, he tallied 27.
Before Kingz drove to the bucket for his game-winning layup, he was at the free throw line for a one-and-one opportunity and 2:58 to play. Syracuse led 77-76, and Kingz missed before Jaden Tombs took the lead for SMU on the other end 15 seconds later.
Kingz said he practices free throws daily. Missing the “easy ones,” flushing it and moving on to the next play is something he’s struggled with in the past. Yet, he didn’t shy away, stepping up to the task a few minutes later.
Nate Kingz transferred to Syracuse this season after two season at Oregon State. The Salem, Oregon, native started his collegiate basketball career at NAIA Westmont College (California) before heading to junior college Southern Idaho. Tara Deluca | Asst. Photo Editor
As Kingz headed back to the locker room, he put his head coach in a head lock. Yesterday, when gameplanning for the matchup with the Mustangs, Autry asked Kingz if he’d be able to make a move to the basket on a strong defender of Miller’s prowess. Kingz assured him he could.
“Anybody that’s in front of me, I’m gonna take them, and it don’t matter, short, tall, big or small, like anything, it don’t matter,” Kingz told Autry. “And that’s what I was expressing to him at the end of the game. I’m like ‘I told you so.’”
Kingz has been working for a moment like this his entire life. For Syracuse, it builds momentum. But it’s no secret the Orange still have plenty of work to do to quiet brewing turmoil.
If Syracuse takes any notes from Kingz’ journey, it will continue to fight until the final buzzer sounds.
