TRUE TO HIMSELF

N

aithan George learned about Syracuse’s passionate fan base the hard way. On Jan. 24, in the heart of another rough season for the Orange, fans ruthlessly booed head coach Adrian Autry and SU’s players during a home loss to Miami. George said he expected better from Syracuse fans. He understands their frustrations, but can’t wrap his head around the hate.

Then things got personal. Following George’s comments — in which he said SU’s home crowd was “disrespectful” for how they treated the team — fans directed negative messages at George. For George, a junior guard who transferred to Syracuse in the offseason after two years at Georgia Tech, it was an unfamiliar scenario. He didn’t enjoy it one bit.

“I know everybody’s a die-hard fan,” said his father, Anthony George. “But to go after a man like that, you got to keep in mind that he is a human being. I think some people lost sight of that.”

Through the adversity, though, George has stayed true to himself. A soft-spoken yet authoritative presence as a point guard, George’s facilitating is among the few bright spots for this year’s Orange squad. His 5.4 assists per game rank fifth in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Per EvanMiya, he’s in the country’s 98th percentile for assist rate. Sure, it hasn’t been the season he envisioned, but he’s doing his part as Syracuse’s floor general.

Now, as SU finishes its regular season and heads into the ACC Tournament, George could be playing his final games in an Orange uniform. With one more year of collegiate eligibility, a crucial transfer-portal decision looms this offseason for George and his family.

This is his last chance to remind Syracuse fans why they were so giddy about his arrival last offseason — a sentiment that’s since disappeared amid the Orange’s 15-15 record with one regular-season contest remaining.

“I mean, we show flashes (of greatness),” George said back on Jan. 24, pleading with SU fans to give him and his team a chance. “It’s just that little detail, that little play that we’re missing that could turn our season around, and that could potentially happen.”

Since then, however, those little details haven’t been there, and that turnaround hasn’t happened. Syracuse is fresh off a 2-5 February, which included a comeback victory over SMU but featured a 37-point blowout loss to No. 1 Duke and a porous defensive showing in a defeat to Wake Forest to close the month.

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Growing up in Toronto with eight siblings, George always tried to stand out as the best. This season’s string of defeats affected him more than usual. After all, he was Syracuse’s marquee transfer-portal acquisition. He feels personal responsibility for each loss.

“You see him after games that we’ve lost, and he’s super emotional,” said freshman guard Kiyan Anthony on Feb. 14.

A month ago in the visitors’ locker room following SU’s 87-77 loss at North Carolina, Anthony walked over to a forlorn George sitting with his head down. The two talked for half an hour. George, who’s averaging more than three turnovers per game, was tired of coughing the ball up. Anthony sensed George’s confidence sinking. He tried to inject belief into his point guard.

In moments like these, George doesn’t sulk for long. His father, Anthony George, says that sometimes after games, even if his son logs 35 to 40 minutes, he’ll go to the gym. He’ll ponder what he could have done better and manifest a better result.

George balled out in the immediate aftermath of that UNC loss. His confidence returned after a 19-point, 8-for-9 shooting performance against Virginia on Feb. 7. Then, he posted 10 assists in a double-overtime win over California.

The cherry on top? Against SMU on Feb. 14, George’s patience and backcourt ball-handling set Nate Kingz up for the game-winning bucket. He also hit two crucial 3s as Syracuse mounted a 12-point comeback.

“I’m super happy to see him flourish in that role,” Anthony said of George after beating the Mustangs. “We’re all excited to see him grow.”

Moments like that — as well as his five double-digit assist games — are precisely why Autry wanted George so badly.

Autry, who said the Orange were “all-in” on George after he hit the transfer portal, was ecstatic to have an experienced distributor running his backcourt.

“You don’t have to teach him the position,” Autry said before the season. “He’s proven (to be good) at this level.”

But Anthony George said his son has found it difficult to play within SU’s offense — which George’s father assessed as “slow” in half-court sets. George prefers a fast-paced style, and though Autry’s desire was for the Orange to build a breakneck offense, the numbers say they’re slower than they were in 2024-25.

Naithan George came to Syracuse this offseason as one of the Orange’s top transfers. Through a difficult campaign, George has been one of SU’s bright spots. Zoe Xixis | Asst. Photo Editor

George spoke about Syracuse’s lack of pace a few times early in the season. He felt the little details were missing, and players overthought SU’s offensive sets at times, preventing it from performing at full speed.

“I’d just say running our stuff harder,” George said on Dec. 17 regarding a solution to the Orange’s inconsistent offense. “And just executing at a high level — because the close games all come down to that half-court execution.”

Anthony George also said his son has acknowledged the weaknesses of Syracuse’s roster. George has told his father the Orange have too many ball-dominant players, which Autry publicly identified as an issue. George doesn’t say that to bash his teammates; it’s simply an honest assessment from the team’s backcourt commander.

But all these factors have contributed to SU’s disappointing year. Anthony George thinks this team could have won at least 19 or 20 regular-season games, especially with his son’s ability.

George’s father said of course his son wants to win for Autry. But at the end of the day, college basketball is a business that players can’t control. It’s not George’s responsibility to save Autry’s job; it’s just added weight.

Still, heading into an uncertain 2026 offseason, one of George’s lasting memories of Syracuse will be getting booed off the JMA Wireless Dome court numerous times. George and his father want SU fans to know that as long as he’s repping the Block ‘S,’ he’s going to give his all for them — even if next week in Charlotte is indeed his last dance with the Orange.

“Everything’s in the cards right now,” Anthony George said about where his son will play in his senior year. “We’re going to wait it out until the end of the season.

“A lot could change.”

Photo by Zoe Xixis | Asst. Photo Editor

Published on March 5, 2026 at 12:01 am