Naithan George and Ibrahim Souare played together for Canyon International Academy, then spent two seasons at Georgia Tech, and are now teammates once again for the Syracuse Orange. Neither of them can even really remember what it felt like to be on a basketball team without the other.
“That’s my brother, man,” George said on Syracuse basketball media day. “I’ve been with him so long and we know each other’s games inside and out.”
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Despite that, George insists the two weren’t a package deal when they entered the transfer portal in the spring.
“Ibrahim made his decision on his own to come here,” he said. “He thought it would be the best for him as well.”
But the chemistry that has developed over the years between the two of them is real, and will be something to keep an eye on for this Orange team. While George is the most heralded transfer that Syracuse has picked up in the Adrian Autry era — he was recently ranked 97th on ESPN’s Top 100 players in college basketball for the upcoming season — Souare has been an overlooked addition this offseason.
It makes sense why, as George is seen as the point guard that SU has desperately needed for many years, and on the surface level, his relationship with Souare could just be incidental. After all, Souare is most likely just a rotational big man that can give a few minutes here and there. But when they’re both on the floor, Souare can elevate George’s game by giving him a lob threat and a familiar set of hands in the post.
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“I don’t have to say nothing,” Souare said. “I know he’s gonna throw the lob. I don’t have to look at him twice, just look one time and then I’m gone.”
The pair connected for plenty of lobs last season, and it figures to be a big part of the Orange’s game this year. With a more athletic frontcourt featuring Souare, William Kyle, and Sadiq White, in addition to Donnie Freeman’s return from injury, Syracuse has a roster that can accentuate this part of George’s game.
George averaged an ACC-leading 6.5 assists per game last year, and the Orange were 330th in assist rate. Part of that was a lack of strong point guard play as Jaquan Carlos failed to live up to expectations, but another part of it was how ball dominant Syracuse’s main scorers were. With George, perhaps SU takes the ball out of JJ Starling’s hands more, and allows Donnie Freeman to find his way to the ball in different ways. He only caught one lob for a dunk last season, he’s trying to change that.
“Dang, that’s crazy to think of,” Freeman said when he learned the stat. “I’m telling you that I’m definitely going to catch more than one lob this year.”
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“Donnie could catch lobs, William Kyle is a freaking athlete, Ibrahaim, Sadiq White jumps out the gym,” George said. “Throwing it up to them isn’t nothing.”
But George’s game isn’t just throwing lobs. He operated the pick-and-roll at a high frequency, keeping his eyes up and looking to pass when he got in the paint.
He takes pride in his mid-range shot — which he calls “his layup” — recognizing its necessity for his style of play. George knows he’s not the most athletic point guard, so he can’t always challenge seven footers in the paint — which led to the developement of his mid-range game — but he knows he needs to be stronger this season.
“(Finishing at the rim has) been an emphasis for me this offseason,” George said. “Just being able to make those easy buckets, because the easier the bucket, the better for us.”
Souare has watched George’s evolution from high school into college with a first-person view. Now, that duo will be on display on college basketball’s biggest stage.
