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Baylor Basketball: Freshman Keyonte George is a star in the making

By Jerran Anderson

IMG Academy's Keyonte George (1) warms up before the first half of the 2021 City of Palms Classic game between IMG Academy and Ballard, Saturday, Dec. 18, 2021, at Suncoast Credit Union Arena in Fort Myers, Fla.City Of Palms Classic: IMG Academy vs. Ballard
IMG Academy's Keyonte George (1) warms up before the first half of the 2021 City of Palms Classic game between IMG Academy and Ballard, Saturday, Dec. 18, 2021, at Suncoast Credit Union Arena in Fort Myers, Fla.City Of Palms Classic: IMG Academy vs. Ballard /
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Baylor Basketball lost in the second round of the NCAA Tournament this past season. This season, they should get a whole lot further during March Madness given the addition of electric guard Keyonte George.

Keyonte George is a name Baylor Bears fans should enjoy getting used to hearing, even if it’s only for one season. He’s already shown he can lead the way and run the show following their foreign tour of Canada this past July in the GLOBL Jam, with key players missing time at that.

George averaged 22.8 ppg in his debut with Baylor on their five-game tour in the GLOBL Jam in Canada. They went 1-4 but were without Adam Flagler, LJ Cryer, Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua and Langston Love as they looked to get a feel for their newest additions.

The biggest addition that stood out was George, who went for 32 points in their opening game against Italy, shooting 10-of-18 from the floor, 6-of-12 from 3-point range and 6-of-8 from the free-throw line to go along with 4 assists and a steal then followed that up with a 37-point outing on 12-of-21 shooting from the field, 4-of-8 shooting from 3-point land and 9-of-11 shooting from the free-throw line along with four assists, four steals and in their lone victory over Canada a few days later.

George has the ability to score on all three levels already and does an even better job of using his body to create contact and foul opportunities for himself, making him a handful for opponents to defend against. He had two 30-point games to add to his resume following the Bears‘ trip to Canada but more importantly, he showed that he could hold his own against older, more fundamentally-sound competition, which should carry him this 2022-23 season.

WTE Big 12 power rankings for 2022-23. dark. Next

He’s shown already he’s the ultimate competitor and shined on a national stage at IMG Academy in his final season of high school basketball. Now, he looks ready to become a star in the Big 12 for the Baylor Bears. He should be an early favorite for Big 12 Rookie of the Year honors, but don’t be surprised if he’s also a favorite for Big 12 Player of the Year and beyond as he shows what he can do defensively.

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