#11 Keyonte George
Height: 6’4
Weight: 185
School: Baylor
School: Baylor
Position: SG
Class: Freshman
WHO
George first attracted attention from pro and college scouts while at Lewisville High School (TX), where he racked up multiple awards in his division, including 6-6A MVP his sophomore year. After transferring to iSchool of Lewisville his junior year, he joined the prestigious IMG Academy his senior year.
At IMG, George carved out a reputation as a flashy, bouncy scorer with some playmaking and defensive attributes. He earned offers from Kansas, Texas, Kentucky, and Arizona, before choosing Baylor.
George averaged 15.3 points per game, 4.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.1 steals in 28.6 minutes per game. Although George (and Baylor) started strong, with George pulling off impressive scoring performance after performance, fatigue and injuries looked like they caught up with him towards the tail-end of the season.
His season started with a bang, as he averaged 16 points per game in his first 10 games while showing some comfort as the point guard, it ended with a whimper. George averaged just 11 points per game in his final 10 games, ending with nine points in a first-round blowout in March Madness, and seven in Baylor’s Round of 32 exit to Creighton.
George’s draft stock rose and fell throughout the season, but one thing is clear; he’s an incredible scorer. He was eighth in points scored for the Big 12, but it doesn’t show George’s deep bag; he uses spin moves, complicated dribble sequences, and most importantly, a killer on all three levels of the court.
He was also integral to Baylor as a playmaker, and although that role seemed more foreign to George than the traditional slashing shooting guard fans know and love, he was above-average in handling that role as well. He has an incredible head for the game, and he was a decent defender in Scott Drew’s great defensive system.
But George struggled with consistency throughout the season. Part of it was because of his inexperience playing as a one and the ankle injuries he struggled with throughout the season, but George also made some questionable decisions time and time again. He’s unproven defensively due to his size. George has to show that he’s more than the questions and doubts cynics have cast upon him by embracing his scoring skills and slowly gaining experience in the league.
WHY
George is one of the draft’s best guards, one many overlook and underrate due to his old-school, comparatively small build. The Magic and Thunder are reportedly high on George thanks to his ability to attack the basket and exploit defensive mistakes. He looked uncomfortable at Baylor, where he had to run point and distribute the ball rather than put his eye on the hoop, but it seems unlikely that a team will pass on George because he couldn’t facilitate the offense better than a natural point guard.
He’s one of the best scorers to grace Waco, and he can translate his efficiency to the NBA if the right franchise invests in him. He also has the potential to be a big playmaker and has shown flashes of defensive brilliance, but he’s struggled with decision-making at the right time. He’s definitely an agile, dangerous guard you should watch out for in the mid-to-late lottery.
PRO SCOUT QUOTES
Coming out of IMG Academy, George was known as a dynamic scorer, a lethal shooter, and one of the top prospects for the 2023 NBA Draft. He thrived in more of a pure shooting guard role at IMG and had monster performances in international play. With Baylor, though, we knew that George would be more on-ball and asked to create for others as their system requires tremendous amounts of ball and player movement. George has quickly proven that not only is he more than an off-ball scorer but that he is also an incredibly adept playmaker.
Tyler Metcalf, No Ceilings
Keyonte was born in 2003 and it shows, I’m not talking about immaturity. I’m saying this man grew up watching Steph Curry and his game is clearly molded by it, he was just 12 years old when Steph won his first championship. Keyonte shoots the 3 and shoots it often (shot 6.9 3’s a game), he shoots from deep, he shoots coming off screens, and he shoots step backs off of crossovers. He will undoubtedly be compared to both Steph Curry and Damian Lillard, unfortunately, those are some of the greatest players ever and no one should ever be compared to them. Let’s let him write his own story
Lake4646, SLCDunk
The NBA awaits George in an interesting state of constant evolution. The game has, in some ways, moved away from smaller “score-first” guards like George. He’s only 6-foot-4 and he averaged fewer than three assists per game at Baylor. On the other hand, George does profile favorably in other aspects of the modern game. He likes to shoot 3s and attack the cup. He also defends well and projects as a two-way player, even if his lack of height could limit him in certain matchups.
Christopher Kline, FanSided
George is a smooth-scoring guard who shows a high level of dedication to the game and looks to play the game the right way. He scores within the flow of an offense and can knock down jumpers from all three ranges on the floor. His in-between game is potent as he has the knack of getting to his spots to get his shot off. He uses his handle to wiggle his way into his pullup and has the explosiveness and body control to finish plays in a crowd. His game is built upon skill more than elite quickness
Brandon Jenkins, 247Sports
He’s a born bucket getter who can score the ball at will and has a nose for the basket. He’s got an easy release on his jumper and a really smooth 3pt shot. He’s a tough shot maker who an create his own offense. His 3pt percentage isn’t as high as you’d like but part of this is due to his high volume and taking tough shots.
NBA Draft Room
