Former Syracuse point guard Naithan George commits to Pitt
Former Syracuse point guard Naithan George has transferred to Pitt. George led the Orange with 5.4 assists per game in the 2025-26 season. Zoe Xixis | Asst. Photo Editor
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Former Syracuse point guard Naithan George has committed to Pitt, he announced on his Instagram Monday. The move means George will spend a fourth straight season in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Canadian spent his first two seasons at Georgia Tech, transferred to Syracuse for the most recent campaign and has opted to join the Panthers next year.
After leading the ACC with 6.5 assists per game at GT in 2024-25, George arrived as SU’s starting point guard via the portal last year. However, his production dipped slightly to 5.4 assists per game, fifth in the conference, while compiling a team-high 98 turnovers in a losing season that marked the end of head coach Adrian Autry’s three-year tenure.
George joins a Pitt team that had similar struggles to the Orange, going 13-20 overall and barely squeaking into the ACC Tournament as the No. 15 seed by beating Syracuse in its regular-season finale. In that loss, George recorded a season-high 26 points. However, in Charlotte, the Panthers won their opening-round game over Stanford and retained head coach Jeff Capel for a ninth season despite missing the last three NCAA Tournaments.
George is the first of the seven Syracuse players who entered the transfer portal to announce their next school. Guards Luke Fennell and Aaron Womack, forwards Donnie Freeman, Akir Souare and Tyler Betsey, plus center Tiefing Diawara, all remain in the portal.
SU has made some key pickups of its own in the portal to replenish its roster under new head coach Gerry McNamara. It notched a commitment from former McNeese State guard Garwey Dual on Saturday and reeled in former Temple guard Aiden Tobiason Monday, who averaged 15.3 points per game with the Owls last year.
Those acquisitions are paired with Siena starters Gavin Doty and Tasman Goodrick following McNamara to Syracuse and freshmen Kiyan Anthony and Sadiq White Jr. deciding to return to SU.
