‘A natural kind of gift’: Point guard Nate Pryor a bright spot for struggling UW Huskies
This is where Nate Pryor wanted to be.
Ever since he was a kid, watching Washington from the seats at Alaska Airlines Arena, Pryor dreamed of being on the floor instead. Three years, two stops and a whole lot of perseverance later, he finally made it.
“For me to get an offer from UW,” Pryor said during a Zoom call with the media on Friday, “it made it more motivating to do what I have to do.”
A former standout at West Seattle, Pryor originally committed to Seattle University when Cameron Dollar was the head coach. He then switched to UW in April 2017 when Mike Hopkins was hired as head coach and Dollar joined his staff.
But Pryor’s academic struggles prevented him from becoming eligible. He took a detour to prep school before leaving for North Idaho College, where he averaged 18.0 points in 31.8 minutes per game in two seasons.
After briefly de-commiting in early March 2020, Pryor reaffirmed his commitment to Hopkins and the Huskies on March 13. He made his long-awaited debut in the loss to Baylor on Nov. 29, but proved himself indispensable in the home-opener against Seattle U nine days later.
“I felt like people for sure slept on me on where I was at and what route I was going,” Pryor said. “People want you to be successful in life, but sometimes you just got to go down a tough route. That’s what I did and I’m just happy to be here.”
Maybe not as happy as Hopkins is to have him. After averaging in 1.3 points and no assists in 5.3 minutes over the first three games of the season, Pryor has averaged 10.0 points and 3.0 assists in 30.7 minutes in the most recent three.
“He plays with an excessive amount of energy, which is inspiring,” Hopkins said. “I keep using the words non-agenda basketball, what does that mean? He plays like an old-school point guard that’s trying to lead the team to win, which I think is critical.
“He’s still just scratching the surface with our system. But he is a guy that can get us into our offense, he’s exceptionally intelligent, and he plays and competes to win, and for the symbol on the front of his chest rather than the one on the back.”
Former West Seattle head coach Keffrey Fazio knows exactly what Hopkins sees in Pryor — because the same qualities that got him on the floor at UW also made him a four-year starter in high school. Even as a freshman point guard starting his first game, Pryor played at his own pace.
“His teammates see that and see how he’s responding to pressure defense or just any situation you see on the court,” said Fazio, who is now an assistant coach at Seattle Pacific University. “He doesn’t get it right every time, but most of the time he gets it right. When you’re showing your teammates you’re kind of getting things right all the time, whatever the situation is, it makes you kind of relax a bit.
“If you’re a pure shooter and you’re open, he’s going to find you. If you’re a big man and you’re rolling in, he’s going to find you. He has no problem looking to his teammates to score or go make the play. I was a very lucky high school coach for four years to have him. He made my job very easy.”
After he arrived at UW, Pryor missed two weeks of practice due to a hip injury. The combination of being new to the team and dealing with the injury made Pryor timid. He didn’t know the system well yet, so he was hesitant to give instruction.
But nearly a month into the season, that’s changed. Pryor has earned the confidence of his teammates — and he’s feeling more comfortable, too.
“He has a natural kind of gift on the court to make his teammates trust him quickly,” Fazio said. ‘’I think that kind of blends with his loyalty. Also, he just has a really special ability to see the game. Basketball-wise, he just has a way of seeing things before they happen. He just seems to be playing a little bit ahead of the defense. At his position, that’s a very big bonus to have as a player.”
At a time when Hopkins has been critical of his team’s energy, even alluding to line-up changes on the horizon, Pryor has earned nothing but praise.
“When he has the ball he can execute what the coach wants,” Hopkins said. “He’s a coach on the floor.”
His chemistry with starting point guard Quade Green also has Hopkins considering playing two point guards more often than not. Pryor’s presence allows Green to play off the ball, which makes the game easier for UW’s leading scorer.
That’s not surprising. It’s just what Pryor does.
“He has the ability to play his game without letting kind of other things kind of affect his confidence or decision making or playmaking ability,” Fazio said. “Every good player thinks they’re the best, but he doesn’t necessarily just rely on that to get through. I think he’s still true to himself. I think he’s proving himself with every opportunity.”
