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IMG Academy Sets Basketball Program Record After Three Alumni Selected in the First Round of the 2023 NBA Draft
BRADENTON, Fla. (June 22, 2023) – IMG Academy’s Boys basketball program made history on Thursday night when it had three former student-athletes selected in the first round of the 2023 NBA Draft in New York, NY., including the eighth overall pick in forward Jarace Walker. He was joined by guard Jett Howard (No. 11) and guard Keyonte George (No. 16). The selections of Walker to the Washington Wizards (rights traded to Indiana Pacers), Howard to the Orlando Magic and George to the Utah Jazz marked the most first round picks (three) in a single NBA Draft in program history.
The 2023 NBA Draft marked the seventh-consecutive year IMG Academy had a draft selection, and the fourth-straight year it’s had a first-round pick. Over the last nine years, IMG Academy has had at least two alumni selected in the NBA Draft seven times including 2014, 2015, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023.
The 2023 NBA Draft also marked the first time IMG Academy had multiple lottery selections in a single draft with Walker and Howard. Walker, George, and Howard add to IMG Academy’s 11 first round picks in NBA Draft history. They join the following alumni:
| IMG Academy Alumni | Graduation Year | NBA Draft Year | Selection |
|---|---|---|---|
| Renaldo Balkman | 2003 | 2006 | First Round, No. 20 |
| Michael Beasley | 2005 | 2008 | First Round, No. 2 |
| Chris McCullough | 2013 | 2015 | First Round, No. 29 |
| Jonathan Isaac | 2016 | 2017 | First Round, No. 6 |
| Anfernee Simons | 2018 | 2018 | First Round, No. 24 |
| Josh Green | 2019 | 2020 | First Round, No. 18 |
| Jaden Springer | 2020 | 2021 | First Round, No. 28 |
| Mark Williams | 2020 | 2022 | First Round, No. 15 |
| Jarace Walker | 2022 | 2023 | First Round, No. 8 |
| Jett Howard | 2022 | 2023 | First Round, No. 11 |
| Keyonte George | 2022 | 2023 | First Round, No. 16 |
“To have three first round picks in the NBA Draft from IMG Academy for the first time is a tremendous honor for the basketball program as these selections are a testament to the hard work and dedication of the student-athletes and coaches,” said Brian Nash, Director of Basketball at IMG Academy. “A day like this brings out so much joy and pride, and only solidifies our position as one of the best basketball academies in the world.”
IMG Academy has had 19 alumni from its basketball program selected in the NBA Draft since 2005.
Jarace Walker, Forward (No. 8 | Washington Wizards, rights traded to IND)
Walker graduated from IMG Academy in 2022 after being at the school since his eighth-grade year. He was recognized as a McDonald’s All-American and averaged 16.7 points, 8.2 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game his senior season. Walker went on to play for the University of Houston for the 2023 college basketball season where he competed in 36 games (35 starts), was named American Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year and earned American Athletic Conference Freshman of the Week honors six times.
Jett Howard, Guard (No. 11 | Orlando Magic)
Howard graduated from IMG Academy in 2022 and as a senior averaged 13.5 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.0 assists helping the Ascenders to a 21-5 record. He went to play for the University of Michigan for the 2023 college basketball season where he started 29 games and made the All-Big Ten third team and Big Ten All-Freshman Team.
Keyonte George, Guard (No. 16 | Utah Jazz)
George graduated from IMG Academy in 2022 and was recognized as a McDonald’s All-American his senior season where he averaged 17.8 points per game and shot 41% from the 3-point range. He was the highest-ranked recruit in program history when he went to the Baylor University for the 2023 college basketball season. George scored 506 points as a freshman at Baylor, the second-most in school history, and holds the program record for the most 20-point games in program history with 20.
About IMG Academy
IMG Academy is the world's leading sports education brand, providing a holistic education model that empowers student-athletes to win their future, preparing them for college and for life. IMG Academy provides growth opportunities for all student-athletes through an innovative suite of on-campus and online experiences:
- Boarding school and camps, via a state-of-the-art campus in Bradenton, Fla.
- Online coaching via the IMG Academy+ brand, with a focus on personal development through the lens of sport and performance
- Online college recruiting, via the NCSA brand, providing content, tools, coaching and access to a network of 40,000 college coaches
To learn more about IMG Academy and its on-campus and online experiences, visit www.imgacademy.com.
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