Syracuse Basketball: Transfer guard Nate Kingz, a 3-point specialist, is one to watch

I'd keep an eye on Oregon State redshirt junior guard Nate Kingz, who is in the transfer portal, as it pertains to Syracuse basketball coaches' off-season recruiting efforts.

I haven't seen any publicly available media reports or comments from recruiting analysts that directly link the Orange to this 3-point sharpshooter. However, based on some discussions on social media and in 'Cuse chat rooms, it does seem that there may be mutual interest among the Syracuse basketball staff and the 6-foot-5, 190-pound Kingz, who hails from Salem, Ore.

I'll monitor Kingz's recruitment for sure, and I'd love to see the Orange get involved with him, if the program isn't already.

After missing the 2023-24 stanza, sadly, due to an ACL injury, Kingz played well in 2024-25 for Oregon State. The Beavers, by the way, are 20-12 this term and will play in a new post-season tournament called the College Basketball Crown, facing UCF on Tuesday, April 1.

Syracuse basketball has reached out to a variety of college transfers so far this off-season.

In 2024-25, per ESPN statistics, Kingz averaged 27.6 minutes, 11.8 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists per contest while making 50.4 percent from the field, 44.6 percent from beyond the arc on a high volume of attempts, and 81.8 percent from the free-throw line.

Collectively, this past season, Syracuse basketball shot just 32.8 percent from deep. Several of its better 3-point shooters in 2024-25, by extension, have either exhausted their college eligibility or elected to hit the transfer portal, which officially opened for business on March 24 and will run through April 22.

Here's the deal with the Orange this off-season. In 2024-25, the 'Cuse had 12 scholarship players. Five have used up their eligibility. At least four have entered the transfer portal. At least two are returning.

The 'Cuse has at least one commitment thus far via the portal in UCLA transfer power forward/center William Kyle lll, a junior, along with a four-member 2025 class at the high school level.

Key positions of need for the Orange via the portal, from my perspective, include one or more centers, a point guard and 3-point specialists, whether they are more traditional guards or small forwards out on the wing, like junior Chris Bell, who is in the portal.

Based on reports and social media posts from recruiting analysts, college transfers who have received some level of interest from Syracuse basketball include Georgia sophomore guard Silas Demary Jr., Arkansas State junior guard Derrian Ford, Clemson freshman guard Del Jones, Robert Morris junior guard/forward Amarion Dickerson, North Dakota junior guard Treysen Eaglestaff, North Dakota State senior guard Jacari White and Drexel junior guard Kobe Magee.