Baylor Bears in The NBA As Keyonte George, VJ Edgecombe Continue to Shine

The 2025-2026 NBA season is moving at warp speed as the league approaches the trade deadline (February 5th @ 3 p.m. EST) and All-Star Weekend (February 13-17). As teams continue to jockey for playoff positioning, players are looking to make their mark on the league. The Baylor Bears men’s basketball program is well represented with seven players on an active roster.

Below is a quick update on how those former Bears are faring (stats through 1/19):

Keyonte George (Point Guard, Utah Jazz)

There has been plenty of talk from every direction about how George has elevated his game to an All-Star level this season with many clamoring for the third-year guard as the favorite to win the Most Improved Player award. Last season, many experts said George needed to mature and put in more effort and he has done exactly that. For the season, George is averaging 24 points, 6.7 assists, four rebounds and one steal across 34 minutes per game.

VJ Edgecombe (Shooting Guard, Philadelphia 76ers)

76ers guard VJ Edgecombe brings the ball up — Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

The rookie won a starting job in the preseason and wowed the league with an impressive debut. Since opening night, Edgecombe’s season has seen peaks and valleys like any other rookie. Edgecombe’s importance to a 76ers team fighting for a playoff spot cannot be understated due to his versatility and effort on defense. Recently, Edgecombe has garnered fandom for his dunks and fans were calling for him to participate in the dunk contest at the All-Star break, but he ruled it out on Monday. For the season, Edgecombe averages 15.6 points (third amongst rookies), 5.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists (tied for 2nd amongst rookies) and 1.5 steals (most amongst rookies) across 35.8 minutes per game (most amongst rookies).

Royce O’Neale (Small Forward, Phoenix Suns)

The ninth-year vet continues to impress as the veteran leader for the Suns as they fight for a playoff spot in a tough Western Conference. At 32 years old, O’Neale is hitting a career-best 41.8% from the three-point line. For the season, O’Neale is averaging 10.5 points (career high), five rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.2 steals across 29 minutes per game.

Davion Mitchell (Point Guard, Miami Heat)

Miami Heat guard Davion Mitchell (45) dribbles down the court against the Oklahoma City Thunder — Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Mitchell recently missed a couple of games due to a shoulder injury but returned to the starting lineup the past two nights. Mitchell continues to be one of the purest passers and hard-nosed defenders in the Association. For the season, the fifth-year guard is averaging 8.9 points, 7.1 assists (ninth in the NBA), 2.6 rebounds and 1.2 steals across 28.9 minutes per game.

Yves Missi (Center, New Orleans Pelicans)

Missi is a monster in the paint and plays his role of big man off bench very admirably. Missi could be headed for a bigger role with the Pelicans or elsewhere depending on what happens at the trade deadline. For the season, Missi is averaging 5.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.3 blocks and 1.2 assists across 18 minutes per game.

Ja’Kobe Walter (Shooting Guard, Toronto Raptors)

Walter had played himself into a consistent scorer role off the bench, who could get major minutes if a starter was out. Unfortunately, for Walter, a hip injury has sidelined him in the past five games. The second-year guard is averaging 6.1 points, 2.1 rebounds and .9 steals across 17 minutes per game.

Jeremy Sochan (Power Forward, San Antonio Spurs)

Much has been said about Sochan’s future as the Spurs have made it clear that he is not apart of their future plans with multiple healthy DNPs, including the last three games. Sochan’s versatility and motor would fit in well for most teams in the league. For the season, the fourth-year forward is averaging 4.4 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.1 assists across 13 minutes per game.

Taurean Prince (Small Forward, Milwaukee Bucks)

Prince suffered a season-ending herniated disk in his neck back in November and had surgery a couple weeks later.

RayJ Dennis (Point Guard, Atlanta Hawks)

Dennis signed a two-way contract with the Hawks on New Year’s Eve, his third franchise of the season. Dennis finally got the call from the Hawks this past Saturday and finished with four assists and a steal in five minutes. For the season, Dennis is averaging 4.3 points, two assists and 1.5 rebounds across 11 minutes per game.