Utah Jazz select Keyonte George in 2023 NBA Draft

After an impressive freshman season at Baylor, Keyonte George has heard his name called in the 2023 NBA Draft. The Utah Jazz selected him with the No. 16 overall pick Thursday night.

George put up 15.3 points and 4.2 rebounds per game for Baylor, which ranked second on the Bears roster behind Adam Flagler’s 15.6 points per contest. His strong numbers earned him the Big 12 Freshman of the Year award in what turned out to be his lone season with the program.

George’s biggest performance came in January when he dropped 32 points to help Baylor past West Virginia 83-78. He declared for the draft March 28 and decided to forego his remaining eligibility.

Baylor had a three-headed monster on offense in 2022-23 between George, Flagler and LJ Cryer. They all averaged more than 15 points per game to help the Bears finish with a 23-11 overall record and an 11-7 mark in Big 12 play. Baylor’s season came to an end in the NCAA Tournament with an 85-76 loss to Creighton in the Round of 32.

George played high school basketball at IMG Academy (Fla.) by way of Dallas. He was a Five Star Plus+ recruit, meaning he was one of the only players ranked by all four major recruiting media companies as a five star. George was the No. 9-ranked player in the nation from the 2022 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, an equally weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies, and became the highest-rated recruit in Baylor program history.

What NBA Draft experts are saying about Keyonte George

George’s 6-foot-4, 215-pound frame makes him an intriguing prospect in the modern NBA. He also shot 33.8% from three-point territory, which didn’t necessarily jump off the page, but could fit in well in the association.

“A true combo guard who could play both backcourt spots in the NBA, George is a bit of a tweener at 6-foot-4, but his athleticism and body control allow him to create space and get his shot off against bigger defenders,” Rotowire’s evaluation of George said. “George is an excellent scorer off the dribble, capable of getting to the rim with either hand while also using footwork to generate space.

“George was a hot-and-cold 3-point shooter at Baylor (33.8%), but he shot nearly 80% at the free throw line and projects as a plus floor-spacer at the next level.”