As Syracuse native Nathan Knight was blossoming into an NBA prospect at The College of William and Mary in Virginia the last few years, former Syracuse star Elijah Hughes was doing the same in the Salt City. Now, the two have become both teammates and roommates, working out together and bunking up, too, all in pursuit of their NBA dreams.
“It’s been awesome,” said Knight in a Zoom interview this week. “Having somebody to compete with, to train with, to get better with. The cliche is 'iron sharpens iron.' So, just having that with me is something I really value.”
The draft-hopeful duo was formed because both Knight and Hughes are represented by the Excel Sports Agency. They’ve spent the last five weeks with each other on a full-time basis, both training and living, and according to Nathan, it’s been a match made in Heaven.
“Elijah’s an amazing roommate,” he said.
Except, perhaps, on cleaning day.
“You know, two 22-or-23-year olds, we really don’t like cleaning,” said Knight, who also didn’t hesitate to claim that he’s the “chef” of the house. “We kind of share that duty. It’s just, whoever gets to it first, I guess.”
Nathan, who measures 6’10” with a wingspan of 7’2”, said his 6’6” roommate is helping him improve his guard skills, though the two don’t normally play a lot of one-on-one. Occasionally, they’ll work in a game of H-O-R-S-E, or have a post workout dunk contest to “see what each other’s capable of." Knight said they’re both learning a lot from each other.
“The great thing is, we’re two totally different players,” said Knight. “If you’re from Syracuse, you know exactly who Elijah is. You know exactly how amazing a basketball player he is. So, having somebody like that to learn from, it’s just been a real pleasure.”
Hughes is being projected as an early-to-mid second round pick, while Knight is not currently listed in any mock drafts. But, after working out for five NBA teams while “testing the waters” last summer, and receiving a belated birthday gift last month, the 2019-20 Mid-Major Player of the Year has plenty of hope.
A week after his 23rd birthday in late September, Knight received an invitation to the 2020 NBA Combine, one of only 61 invites for the 60-player NBA Draft, which is scheduled for November 18. Because of the pandemic, this year’s combine is being held both individually and virtually.
That means Nate has had virtual interviews with a dozen or more teams over the past few weeks, several of which have shown a heavier interest. It also meant a recent trip down to the Brooklyn Nets’ facility, where Nate spent a few hours getting measured, running through strength and agility drills, and showing off the basketball skills he’s been honing with Hughes.
“You get one day to do the best you can,” said the ex-Bulldog, who gave himself a B or B-plus for his performance, though he knows his opinion isn’t the one that counts. “It was a really exciting experience, because it’s new for me, and it’s also one of my dreams, to play in the NBA. So, to do something like that was really awesome.”
There is some speculation Nate could sneak into the draft in the late second round, but as he himself points out, you never really know. He says there really isn’t any team he’s dreamed of playing for, but he’s a big fan of certain players, like Rockets’ star James Harden, who’s a lefty like Knight and who also wears the same No. 13 jersey.
“Somebody who, obviously, I’m a fan of,” said Nathan.
And, to think that in just a few weeks, he could suddenly find himself one of Harden’s teammates, or even opponents, is keeping Knight up at night.
“There’s been a lot of anxiousness, nervousness, tons of excitement,” said Knight, who says he’s planning to watch the draft with his family. “I’m just looking for an opportunity, so when that opportunity comes, I’m ready to seize it.”