Nottingham’s Nathan Knight has NBA dream realized after draft
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (BVM) — Nathan Knight has come a long way since being named to the New York All-State team after his senior basketball season at Nottingham High School.
After going undrafted in the 2020 NBA Draft, the William & Mary center signed a two-way contract with the Atlanta Hawks shortly after. The once-high profile high school recruit is coming off of a stellar senior season where he helped lead the Tribe to a 21-11 season.
Thank you to the Atlanta Hawks organization for giving me this opportunity. Making my childhood dreams come true! ❤️ https://t.co/a4pKbeeGQ8
— Nathan Knight (@nateknght) November 19, 2020
The two-way deal will allow Knight to begin with the Hawks, Atlanta’s G-League affiliate, the College Park Skyhawks, and will give him the chance to be called up to play at the NBA level.
“Nathan Knight is one of the best players in college basketball,” William & Mary head coach Dane Fischer said in an interview. “He can score around the basket, he can score from the perimeter and he’s really committed on the defensive end.”
Knight is coming off of a rare season, becoming only the second player in Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) history to earn Player of the Year & Defensive Player of the Year honors in the same season. The 6-foot-10 center averaged 20.7 points and averaged a career best 10.5 rebounds in his senior season.
At Nottingham, Knight averaged 14.1 points, 14 rebounds and three blocked shots per game in his senior season, earning All-Central New York honors. Throughout his time at the school, Knight would benefit from a major growth spurt that took him from 5-foot-11 his freshman year to 6-foot-8 in his senior year.
Knight completed a post-graduate year at Kimball Union Academy in New Hampshire after his senior year. His rise through basketball would allow the highly-touted recruit to receive 30 Division I offers before choosing William & Mary.
Back in September, Knight was one of 61 prospects invited to the reinvented virtual NBA Draft Combine. Knight looks to join a short list of Syracuse natives to make it to the NBA.
Knight will have his work cut out for him as the Hawks currently have three centers under contract for next season in Clint Capela, John Collins and Bruno Fernando, and two who will be free agents in Skal Labissiere and Damian Jones. Along with the addition of Knight, the Hawks also drafted center Onyeka Okongwu with the sixth overall pick along with a reported trade for veteran big-man Dewayne Dedmon.
