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Keyonte George will be packing his bags for Waco, Texas, after committing to Baylor ahead of the 2022-23 college basketball season, according to ESPN’s Jeff Borzello and Paul Biancardi.
George is the No. 2 overall player and No. 1 shooting guard in the nation, per 247Sports’ composite rankings. He’s also the best player from Texas.
Brandon Jenkins of 247Sports looked at George’s game in June and compared him to Minnesota Timberwolves star D’Angelo Russell:
“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. He plays with poise and makes sound decisions with the ball in his hands.”
Prior to transferring to iSchool Entrepreneurial Academy, the dynamic 2-guard starred at Lewisville High School. He helped the Fighting Farmers reach the second round of the Class 6A state playoffs. While the team lost 86-73 to Duncanville, George dropped 32 points.
George and iSchool competed in the Iverson Classic: Battle In The Bluff last December, and the event proved to be a great showcase:
At 6’4″ and 185 pounds, George has the frame to play either guard position. He possesses the skills to serve as the primary playmaker while he’s on the floor, too.
The Lewisville native is an instinctive scorer, though, and that will be his first thought when he has the ball in his hands. You can’t blame him considering he has the ability to stop on a dime and nail a pull-up jumper or slash to the basket for a thunderous finish.
The Russell comparison is apt because the 2018-19 All-Star isn’t a traditional point guard but averaged seven assists per game to go with 21.1 points during his career year with the Brooklyn Nets. In addition, his frame (6’4″, 193 lbs) is nearly identical to George’s.
Russell only spent one season at Ohio State before moving on to the NBA, and George’s time in college could be similarly brief. Don’t expect him to wear the Bears’ uniform for too long, but he should provide plenty of entertainment while playing for head coach Scott Drew.
Drew inherited a disastrous situation when he took over in 2003 and steadily turned Baylor into a nationally relevant program. That culminated in the program’s first championship in men’s basketball this past spring.
With George’s decision, the impact of that success is evident.
