Nate Kingz is heating up at just the right time for Syracuse - and the timing couldn’t be better.
The redshirt senior forward, who transferred in from Oregon State this past offseason, arrived in Central New York with a reputation as a perimeter threat. He backed that up last year by knocking down 44.6% of his threes.
But early in the 2025-26 campaign, the long-range touch went cold. Now?
It’s back - and then some.
In Saturday’s 86-72 win over Notre Dame, Kingz delivered his best performance yet in an Orange uniform, dropping a career-high 28 points on 11-of-17 shooting, including 5-of-10 from beyond the arc. He also chipped in three assists, three steals, and a pair of rebounds, earning himself the Premium Mortgage Player of the Game honors.
More importantly, he helped snap Syracuse’s four-game skid and gave the Orange (13-9 overall, 4-5 ACC) a much-needed shot of momentum heading into Monday’s road test against No. 16 North Carolina.
But this wasn’t just a one-night heater. Kingz has been quietly trending upward for weeks now.
Over Syracuse’s last five games, he’s averaging 16.6 points while shooting a blistering 57.1% from the field and 53.3% from deep. That’s not just efficient - that’s elite, especially for a team that’s been searching for consistent scoring options.
At 6-foot-5 and 190 pounds, Kingz brings more than just shooting to the table. He’s shown he can get downhill and finish at the rim, and he’s holding his own on the defensive end. He currently ranks third on the team in rebounds per game - a strong number for a wing - and he’s averaging over a steal per contest, showing active hands and solid instincts on the perimeter.
Through 22 games this season, Kingz is logging 30.2 minutes a night and averaging 11.0 points, 3.8 boards, 1.2 assists, and 1.1 steals. He’s shooting 47.6% from the floor and 36.8% from three - solid numbers that would put him among the ACC’s leaders in 3-point percentage if he had enough attempts to qualify. On the Orange roster, he trails only sophomore Tyler Betsey in that category.
One area where there’s room for improvement is the free-throw line. Kingz is hitting just 63.2% from the stripe this season, a noticeable drop from the 81.8% mark he posted last year. But if he can get that back up to his previous standard, it only adds another layer to an already versatile offensive game.
Take his outing against Boston College in mid-January as another example of his impact. In that overtime loss, Kingz poured in 27 points on 8-of-12 shooting and went 5-of-6 from three. Even in defeat, he looked like the most dangerous scorer on the floor.
That’s the version of Nate Kingz Syracuse needs down the stretch. With conference play intensifying and the margin for error shrinking, the Orange are going to lean on his scoring, spacing, and veteran presence more than ever.
Right now, Kingz is delivering - and if he keeps it up, Syracuse might just find the spark it needs to turn this season around.