#1 Keyonte George Stats, Profile, NBA Draft Scouting Report, Projections, Accolades & Latest News
Height: 6’ 4”
Weight: 185 lbs
School: Baylor
Class: Freshman
Position: Shooting Guard
Hometown: Lewisville, Texas
DOB: November 8, 2003
Keyonte George is a dynamic freshman guard for the Baylor Bears, leading them to a 20-7 record and #9 ranking in the AP Top 25 amid a very talented Big-12 Conference. Playing in all 27 of the team’s games this season, George is averaging 16.6 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 3 APG, and 1 SPG, all while shooting 80.8% from the free throw line. He’s currently a projected lottery pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, with the potential to sneak inside the top 10 if the right scenario arises.
Recruitment and Early Career – Skill Academies Camps
George was an incredibly successful and highly-rated high school player throughout his career. He played 2 seasons for Lewisville High School, before transferring to iSchool of Lewisville for his junior year. For his senior year, he transferred again to the prestigious IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, a preparatory boarding school and sports training organization. Functioning essentially as a basketball development academy, IMG helped to enhance George’s standing in the high school basketball world even more, resulting in him being the #3 player in the Class of 2022.
After significant recruiting attempts from several different major schools including Kansas, Kentucky, Texas, and Texas Tech, eventually Keyonte George committed to attending Baylor. He felt that as a scoring guard, Baylor provided the best fit for his game, as their system gave plenty of freedom for elite guard play. He also cited their winning culture and credited Coach Scott Drew as being one of the most caring individuals he had ever met. George was the highest-ranked recruit in Baylor basketball history.
Where is George From?
George is originally from Lewisville, Texas, where he played basketball for most of his high school career. He moved to Bradenton, Florida for his senior season to attend the elite IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.
Keyonte George Minutes Played
One of the most impressive aspects of George’s performance is that he has been able to make a huge impact without playing as many minutes a game as other stars. While many top college players routinely play around 32 minutes a game, George plays just under 30. As he gets more playing time down the stretch of the season, look for him to elevate his game even more.
Birthdate & Age
George’s birthday is November 8, meaning that he played Baylor’s first game of the season against Mississippi Valley State on November 7 as an 18-year-old. Although there are younger top freshmen players in the country, George’s top play at 19 years old is a key harbinger of the potential success he can have on the professional level.
Keyonte’s Dad
No public information currently exists regarding George’s father, mother, or siblings, which is interesting considering he was one of the top high school prospects in his class. Undoubtedly, this information will come to light in the next few months, either during the 2023 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament or the 2023 NBA Draft.
His Vertical
According to most scouting reports, George has very good, but not great athleticism. He does have good leaping ability and can play above the rim at times. A specific vertical leap measurement will likely become available for George during the 2023 NBA Draft Combine in May.
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What you will find on a Keyonte George NBA Draft scouting report
At just 19 years old this freshman possesses tons of potential and a level of confidence that you love to see in a player at such a young age. But sometimes that same confidence manifests itself into overconfidence. Which in turn is reflected in the athletic shooting guard’s up and down offensive efficiency and production.
Head scratcher fact: The Baylor Bears are currently 20-7 on the season. They’ve won nearly 69% (11-5) of their games when George scores 17 or more points on 44.5% shooting. But they won nearly 82% (9-2) of their games when George scores less than 17 points while shooting a combined 27% from the field.
When teams have to focus their defense on shutting George down does it open up the game and allow for his teammates to thrive? Who really knows? It’s just a cool fact and an interesting head scratcher.
Offensive overview
George has a get buckets mentality. However at this stage of his career he’s turnover prone and inefficient as a scorer. And questionable shot selection is the culprit for his low shooting percentages.
Plus overconfidence combined with short term memory often result in difficult, early in the shot clock or flat out unnecessary shots. But George also has that wow factor because those same questionable shots occasionally drop.
Whether shooting a jump shot, penetrating or getting to the line George is a three level scorer that almost evenly distributes his shots between two and three point field goal attempts. In order to get his attempts George relies heavily on creating off dribble.
Shooting
While George may not be the best shooter his excellent ability to create, shoot off dribble and catch & shoot is part of the reason he shoots with so much confidence. With step backs and quick crossovers he effectively creates separation. But in the same breath George often settles for tough jump shots and shoots a lot of threes while connecting on a low percentage of his attempts.
Thus far this season slightly more than half of his field goal attempts come from downtown. Even though he’s not a great outside shooter he does have NBA range. George may often settle for difficult jumpers but he also has the ability to get to the basket off dribble.
Close range scoring
Attacking the basket off the dribble would positively impact George’s offensive efficiency more than settling for tough jumpers off the bounce. Other than being a bit shaky under pressure at times his handle is decent and his iso-ability is solid.
Blowing past defenders with his in & outs, hesitations, quick crossovers and fluid changes of direction are under utilized aspects of his game. At the basket George finishes with both hands, above the rim and with acrobatic layups in the half court and transition.
George is also a good free throw shooter. So increasing his odds of drawing fouls and getting to line on downhill attacks won’t hurt.
Passing
George has good vision and is capable of finding others. But unfortunately his passes are often risky, errant and turnover prone.
Defense
On the defensive end you see his ability to stay in front of his man and/or cut off penetration at times. Plus how he can harasses ball handlers with quick hands and gets into passing lanes for steals.
But at other times he exhibits Matador or revolving door defensive tendencies. It’s as if he’s defending like he’s trying not to pick up a foul even when not in foul trouble. Avoiding contact while swiping at the ball often replaces sliding his feet to cut off penetration.
At the next level
George has the potential to succeed at the next level. He’s currently more of a project than an efficient NBA ready contributor. However George is the ideal project. Because the franchise that succeeds at unlocking his full potential will also uncover a gem. George can reach his full potential by:
- Improving decision making
- Improving shot selection
- Improving accuracy from downtown especially for his style of play (shooting lots of three pointers).
- Consistently locking in of the defensive end. Opposing teams will put him on an island and make him a defensive iso liability.
- Attacking the basket more than settling for difficult jump shots.
Keyonte George’s 2022-2023 NCAA Season Stats
| GAMES PLAYED | 27 |
| MINUTES PER GAME | 29.5 |
| POINTS PER GAME | 16.6 |
| USAGE RATE | 31.3 |
| FIELD GOALS/ATTEMPTS | 5.1-13.2 |
| FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE | 38.9 |
| THREE POINTERS/ATTEMPTS | 2.4-7.1 |
| THREE POINT PERCENTAGE | 34.6 |
| FREE THROWS | 3.9-4.8 |
| FREE THROW PERCENTAGE | 80.8 |
| REBOUNDS PER GAME | 4.5 |
| ASSIST PER GAME | 3.0 |
| TURNOVERS PER GAME | 3.0 |
| STEALS PER GAME | 1.1 |
| BLOCKS PER GAME | 0.2 |
| PERSONAL FOULS | 2.1 |
2022-2023 Season and Beyond
George is currently projected be drafted in the 11 to 14 pick range of the 1st Round of the 2023 NBA Draft but could get into the top 10 if he continues to play at a high level. The Big 12 Conference is having one of its best seasons in years, with many top teams, meaning that Baylor is constantly featured in top matchups all the time.
This combined with the fact that Baylor will most likely be a high seed in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament will give George plenty of exposure and opportunities to increase his draft stock even more. He has the potential to have a good career in the NBA as a solid, offensive off-the-ball guard who can consistently knock down the jump shot and get to the basket.
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