Keyonte George has nation's elite programs chasing him

Keyonte George jumped to No. 6 overall in the latest 2022 Rivals150 earlier this week and is now ranked as the No. 2 point guard in the class. And likewise, the 6-foot-5 Texas native has become one of the most highly recruited prospects in the class.

George’s offer list now includes schools such as Arizona, Baylor, Florida, Kansas, LSU, NC State, Ole Miss, TCU, Texas, Texas Tech and many more. Kentucky has also started to recruit him as well since hiring Jai Lucas as an assistant coach a few months ago.

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2021 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position

2022 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position

2023 Rankings: Top 30

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Arizona: “I don’t know too much about them, but JT (assistant coach Jason Terry) tells me they are working hard to get better every day. He was with Drive Nation coaching the girls side last summer, so he was around a lot and I would work with him a little bit. He would give me advice and help me with my game. He thinks I have a bright future.”

Baylor: “I like coach (Scott) Drew a lot. He had a great conversation with me and my family when I went down there. It’s just really good vibes down on their campus.”

Kansas: “It’s a winning program as well. They’ve been winning for a while now. Coach (Bill) Self is a great coach, cares about his players and coaches them hard. He holds you accountable, no matter who you are or where you come from.”

Kentucky: “It’s a great winning program. They aren’t doing so well right now, but they are starting to get better. I had a great relationship with (assistant coach) Jai Lucas when he was at Texas, so we keep in touch. I haven’t talked to coach (John) Calipari yet. I’ve talked to some guys who went there like Tyrese Maxey and he said you have to be basketball-crazy to go there. He’s going to coach you hard.”

Texas: “When I went down there, you could tell coach (Shaka) Smart cares about his players. He’s going to get the best out of you. He’s going to push you to be great. I just love how he cares about his players. They are doing great this year. It’s cool to see them doing so well.”

Texas Tech: “It’s a winning program. Coach (Chris) Beard, he’s intense on the court. He’s always locked in. On my visit there, the fans are really into it. It’s the only thing in Lubbock, so everyone loves the sports there.”

George says he’s in no rush to make a college decision. His current plan is to finish up his high school season, play out the travel season through July, and then start moving toward a decision prior to his senior season. Ideally, he’ll be able to get out and visit schools in the near future when the NCAA ends the extended dead period.

Keep an eye on the possibility of an offer coming in from Kentucky. George built a strong relationship with Lucas and it could be enough to pull him to Big Blue Nation.

However, all the other schools he discussed have done a great job so far as well. He loves the passion of the Texas Tech fan base. He loves the way Smart treats his players. The culture at Baylor has his attention. The winning tradition at Kansas appeals to him. And his relationship with Terry will keep Arizona in play.