After a 77-48 win against Stonehill on Monday night, the Syracuse University men's basketball team won't take the floor again until Dec. 31 when it opens up Atlantic Coast Conference play against Clemson (JMA Wireless Dome, 2 p.m. ET).

The Orange finished the non-conference at 9-4 and are looking to make the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2020-21, but in order to do that, they'll need a handful of things to happen.

First, they'll need Donnie Freeman to make the impact they are anticipating in his return from injury. Then, they'll need young players like Kiyan Anthony, Sadiq White Jr. and Tyler Betsey to keep developing. And then? They'll need this version of Naithan George to show up consistently.

About George

A junior, George spent his first two years at conference rival Georgia Tech. A good all-around guard, he averaged 11.2 ppg in two seasons for the Yellow Jackets, and he led the ACC in assists per game at 6.5 in 2024-25.

This season? He's averaging 10.4 ppg and 4.9 assists, but he's taken a big leap forward in the last two games.

Against Northeastern and Stonehill both, he had 22 points. He was a combined 12-of-20 from the floor and 17-of-21 at the free-throw line. If the Orange want to be the best version of themselves, they'll need this aggressive version of George to show up.

As head coach Adrian Autry has said in multiple postgame press conferences, sometimes it takes time to find your rhythm as a transfer. Perhaps George is finding his now - at the right time.

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How else can the Orange benefit?

It's not just the scoring. It's the threat of the scoring. If opponents see George as a scoring threat, they'll have to help. If the defense collapses on him, other guys should get some more wide-open looks. If they choose not to help on him, then he'll have some one-on-one opportunities, which he's shown the ability to convert. His ability to score has a multi-faceted benefit.

Need to know

Syracuse Roundtable will be at every home game for the rest of the season. Make sure to follow our own Tom Goslowski (@TomGozz) on social media for the latest Orange updates.

Also on campus

--The Syracuse women's basketball team is 11-1 right now and off to a fantastic start. They've won six straight games and will resume ACC play on Dec. 28 when they host Duke at the JMA Wireless Dome. Tip-off is set for 4 p.m. ET. SU is 1-0 in the conference right now, having already beaten SMU.

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