UND rounds out 2024-25 roster with addition of George Natsvlishvili

GRAND FORKS (UND Athletics/KVRR) – North Dakota head men’s basketball coach Paul Sather announced on Friday that forward George Natsvlishvili has signed with the Fighting Hawks and round out the roster for the 2024-25 season.

“George is a highly skilled and versatile forward that can make threes and handle the ball with guard skills,” said Sather. “He has competed for the country of Georgia over the years in international play and had good success against very good competition. George has some great basketball in front of him and we’re excited to get him on campus to start the work!”

Natsvlishvili is a native of the nation of Georgia, where he has flourished on the international scene for his home country. The 6-foot, 10-inch forward was dynamic at the 2023 FIBA U-20 European B Championships in seven games, leading the team with 13.3 points per game, sitting second with 7.4 rebounds per contest and dishing out 1.4 assists per game to place 14th in the event and earn an honorable mention team honor. He was recently named to the squad once again for the 2024 event beginning on July 12 in Romania.

He spent most of his junior career in Spain, most recently playing with Pajarraco CB Santfeliuenc in the Spain-LEB Silver.

Natsvlishvili’s father, Vakhtang, was the captain of the Georgian National Basketball Team from 1997 until 2007 and enjoyed a 19-year professional career in Europe. His uncle, Nikoloz Tskitishvili, was selected fifth overall by the Denver Nuggets in the 2002 NBA Draft and played 172 games in the NBA over four seasons with five organizations.