In the ninth and final article of The Scout, we take a look at Winthrop’s other North Dakota transfer, Georgian big man George Natsvlishvili.
Without further ado, let’s break down the game of Winthrop’s new big man, George Natsvlishvili.
Player Bio:
Before transferring to Winthrop, Natsvlishvili spent two seasons at North Dakota. Prior to his time at North Dakota, Natsvlishvili spent one season in the Spanish 3rd League and the Estonian-Latvian Basketball League, as well as 3 seasons with the Georgian National Team.
2025-26 (Junior Season):
Natsvlishvili appeared in 31 games, making 14 starts, including 6 of the last 9 conference games. Natsvlishvili averaged 8 PPG and 5 RPG in 19.2 MPG.
Hit the game-winning free throw against St Thomas to send North Dakota to its 2nd-ever Summit League Title Game.
2024-25 (Sophomore Season):
In Natsvlishvili’s first college season, he appeared in 21 games, averaging 2.3 PPG and 2.1 RPG.
Pre-NCAA:
In 2023-24 at Pajarraco BC in Spain, Natsvlishvili averaged 1.5 PPG and 1.8 RPG across 6 games, including 2 playoff games.
In 2023-24 at Rigas Zelli in Latvia, Natsvlishvili averaged 2.5 PPG and 2 RPG across 10 games.
European Competition:
In 21-22, 22-23, and 23-24, Natsvlishvili represented Georgia in U18 and U20 competitions.
21-22: 8.4 PPG and 3.2 RPG in 5 games. (U18)
22-23: 5.1 PPG and 4.1 RPG in 8 games. (U18 Division B)
23-24: 13.2 PPG and 7.5 RPG in 6 games. (U20 Division B)
Film Review:
Offensive Workhorse:
One of the biggest gaps left by the departure of Logan Duncomb is the need for an offensive workhorse. Replacing Duncomb is not an easy task and will likely require a combination of players, but one of those players will undoubtedly be George Natsvlishvili. George Natsvlishvili comes in as the most offensively skilled player in the frontcourt, entering last season as a Top 70th percentile offensive player, and is among the most experienced, with national team, club, and NCAA experience. Duncomb and George Natsvlishvili are also very similar players, making that replacement even more seamless.
When you compare Logan Duncomb before his breakout to George Natsvlishvili last season at North Dakota, a few things stand out. Both players were very efficient in the mid-range, shooting over 50%, took nearly 70% of their attempts at the rim, and have amazing Offensive Rebounding Percentages. Then there is one big comparison the many will argue about this season: both Duncomb and Natsvlishvili get to the line a lot. Both Duncomb and Natsvlishvili had Top 40 Free Throw Rate seasons before their “season” at Winthrop; the only difference is that Duncomb was a better FT shooter, shooting 67% in 2024-25 compared to Natsvlishvili’s 57% last season.
The comparisons aren’t just there; when you compare George Natsvlishvili to Logan Duncomb last season, there is still a ton to notice. George Natsvlishvili has a playing style very similar to Duncomb’s. Duncomb ended up being one of the best players in the country at Post-Up last season, ranking in the 94th percentile in Points Per Play and the 97th percentile in frequency. Natsvlishvili didn’t have the efficiency of Duncomb, ranking only in the 40th percentile, but ranked in the 74th percentile in frequency. Duncomb and Natsvlishvili also ranked in the 75th percentile of frequency in Rebound and Scramble Plays, with both being above 1.1 PPP.
Paint Ability:
One of the most impressive parts of George Natsvlishvili’s game is his ability to dominate the paint, both on the glass and scoring-wise. Last season, George Natsvlishvili had an Offensive Rebound Percentage of 13.5%, which ranked in the 92nd percentile. That ORB percentage really showed an impact when he was off the court. Natsvlishvili had an On/Off ORB Percentage change of 8.1%, ranking in the 98th percentile. That ability alone will make him a key part of Winthrop as they hope to continue last year’s success, finishing 63rd in ORB%, the highest mark of the Mark Prosser era in Rock Hill.
That stellar offensive rebounding ability shows up with his ability to score on 2nd chances. Last season, Natsvlishvili had 27.9% of his points come from 2nd chance baskets, ranking in the 80th percentile. That 80th-percentile 2nd Chance Points Percentage translates to 4.4 Points Per 40 minutes, ranking him in the 91st percentile, which is comparable to Logan Duncomb. Last season, Logan Duncomb had 6 points per 40 Minutes on 2nd chances, ranking him in the 99th percentile. 4 Big South players last season had 10%+ ORB Percentages and 4 2nd-chance points per 40 Mins: Jonah Pierce and Chidi Chiakwelu from Presbyterian; then the two departing big men from Winthrop, Logan Duncomb and Ed Nnamoko.
Charity Stripe:
The biggest question mark in George Natsvlishvili’s game is the thing that really set Logan Duncomb apart from other Winthrop big men. Duncomb shot 75% from the free-throw line, while the team shot 72.9%, the best under Mark Prosser. Getting to the free throw line has never been an issue in Mark Prosser’s time at Winthrop, finishing 26th, 9th, 1st, 1st, and 10th in FTA/FGA. The issue has been making the free throws; Winthrop finished 254th, 68th (I will get back to this one), 283rd, 343rd, then last season finishing 171st. One of the biggest boosts for Winthrop was Duncomb, who ended up breaking Winthrop’s FT Makes record, aided by his amazing 75% FT Percentage.
Last season, George Natsvlishvili shot 57% from the charity stripe and has never shot above 63% in volume during any part of his career. Pending an offseason breakthrough, it is hard to envision him getting to the near 75% level Duncomb had last season. Winthrop wisely addressed that deficit in the portal, first with their other big-man addition, Eeshar Singh Sarai, who shot 74% from the free-throw line in Junior College last season. Winthrop also added 4 80%+ FT shooters in Tyler Parrish, Kyle Morgan, Keshawn Fisher, and former North Dakota teammate from last season Anthony Smith III.
Final Thoughts:
The kind of intentional comparison I made throughout the article was to Logan Duncomb, and for a valid reason. They do have very comparable traits: their play style, ability to get to the line, and even their builds are very similar. I do think, offensively, Duncomb and Natsvlishvili are very similar and will have similar seasons, likely not to the ultimate success of Duncomb’s 25-26 season, but very similar in comparable areas. The differences come on the defensive end and how Winthrop will be able to play. I believe George Natsvlishvili is more mobile than Duncomb, which leads Winthrop to push the tempo if they’d like more than they could with Duncomb as their big man. I also believe Natsvlishvili keeps up with the smaller big men of the league more than Duncomb.
Overall, I do like this addition a lot; I would almost view this as one of the best additions in the entire league. Winthrop showed they are targeting a bit of what made last year’s teams so good, but addressing some of the deficits that ended up biting that team in the end. The addition of Anthony Smith also adds a bit of extra continuity, with those two having played 252 minutes together from last season. At season’s end, I believe George Natsvilshvili ends up on the All-Big South team. A Winthrop big man has made the 1st or 2nd team the past 5 seasons, and I think that streak goes to 6 seasons.