Keyonte George shares what Utah Jazz's confidence in him does

Utah Jazz upper brass had former Baylor standout Keyonte George ranked in their top 10 before the draft began. Surprised he was still on the board at No. 16, the Jazz swooped up the former blue-chip prospect with the second of three first-round selections.

During his introductory press conference, George expressed his gratitude for being selected by an organization that holds him in such high regard.

“I come in here with no expectations, just the will to work,” George said. “Coming in here, grinding each and every day — and like I said before — come in here playing winning basketball. When you hear that coming from an organization, you feel wanted. When you feel wanted somewhere, you’re going to buy in, 10 toes in. So, I’m coming in here, I’m bodying, willing to do whatever.”

The Jazz did have the No. 9 overall pick but elected to draft UCF forward Taylor Hendricks instead. Utah went on to use their third and final first-rounder to pick up Ohio State wing Brice Sensabaugh at 29th overall.

Of the three, George had the biggest spotlight on him having been the No. 9-ranked player in the nation from the 2022 high school recruiting cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, an equally weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

After his commitment, he became the highest-rated recruit in Baylor program history.

During his lone season in Waco, 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.

His most impressive performance with the Bears came in January when he dropped 32 points to help Baylor past West Virginia in an 83-78 win. He went on to declare for the draft on March 28, foregoing his remaining college eligibility, and was eventually drafted No. 16 overall. 

George’s 6-foot-4, 215-pound frame makes him an intriguing prospect in the modern NBA. His 33.8 percent clip from three-point territory, which didn’t necessarily jump off the page to scouts, is something that his coaches can work on. If he gets that squared away, he’ll fit in nicely within Utah’s roster.

He calls himself a “three-level scorer,” but he’ll have to improve his deep ball before he can do it at an elite level in the NBA.