Month: December 2025

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Utah Jazz Still Confident in Keyonte George After Rockets Loss

George has managed to take clear command of the Jazz’s starting point guard role since kicking this season off. He’s averaging career numbers of 23.8 points per game and 7.1 assists as Utah’s …

In the midst of the Utah Jazz‘s blowout loss vs. the Houston Rockets, it wasn’t the most optimal performance for third-year guard Keyonte George, compared to the hot start he’s seen so far this season.

In 19 minutes, George had zero points on the night, shooting 0-6 from the field with one rebound and two assists, and an abysmal eight total turnovers, coming out with the lowest plus-minus within the Jazz’s rotation throughout the day with -27.

A rare off-night for George when looking at his recent sample size for this season, but Jazz head coach Will Hardy ensured to remain confident in his starting point guard following the loss.

“I think not watching [the film] would be a mistake. I think we all have to face hard things. I think there’s things to be learned from tonight’s game, and I have no doubt that Keyonte can and will learn from tonight’s game,” Hardy said postgame.

“So yeah, I would anticipate that he’s going to watch the film, and come out and play a lot better tomorrow [vs. Houston].”

Will Hardy Remains Confident in Keyonte George

George has managed to take clear command of the Jazz’s starting point guard role since kicking this season off. He’s averaging career numbers of 23.8 points per game and 7.1 assists as Utah’s second-leading scorer behind Lauri Markkanen, and a bright spot amid Utah’s bleak 6-13 record on the year.

But, even the best players have bad shooting nights and times where the events don’t fall in their favor, and for George, that just so happened to be what unraveled vs. Houston. The shot wasn’t falling, the ball control wasn’t consistent, and he paid for it in a big way.

Nov 30, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz guard Keyonte George (3) reaches for a loose ball during the first quarter

Nov 30, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz guard Keyonte George (3) reaches for a loose ball during the first quarter of the game against the Houston Rockets at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

In all, though, it’s likely just a blip on the radar for an otherwise productive game. George has had his shortcomings in the past two years in the league, and clearly, it hasn’t rattled him much through his multiple 20-plus-point performances previously in the first month of this season.

He’ll have a quick opportunity to rebound in their quick back-to-back turnaround to face the Rockets once again on their home floor, and when asked about Hardy, he’s confident George can do just that after taking in the film and taking in another valuable learning experience in the Jazz’s blowout, even if the end result was a big, unsightly one.

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Source: Utah News

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Where Utah football ranked in coaches poll after beating Kansas in regular season finale

The Utah football team slugged out a road win over Kansas to end the regular season on a five-game winning streak and keep its Big 12 championship eligibility i …

The Utah football team slugged out a road win over Kansas to end the regular season on a five-game winning streak and keep its Big 12 championship eligibility intact heading into Saturday.

Unfortunately for the Utes (10-2, 7-2 Big 12), though, they didn’t get the help they needed — Arizona’s win over Arizona State dashed their conference title aspirations — and their College Football Playoff at-large hopes were put in serious jeopardy following a wild weekend across the country.

Utah’s standing in the US LBM Coaches poll indicated as much, with the Utes dropping to No. 15 and sitting behind a couple of at-large bid contenders in No. 12 Vanderbilt, No. 13 Miami and No. 14 Texas — three teams that had their respective résumés boosted with ranked wins during rivalry week.

The Commodores remained in the hunt with a 45-24 win over in-state rival Tennessee, helping Clark Lea’s group hold onto its spot at No. 12 in the poll. The Hurricanes did the same thanks to a dominant 38-7 victory over Pitt, while the Longhorns vaulted above the Utes with a 27-17 victory over Texas A&M.

Given Utah didn’t clinch a spot in the Big 12 title game — those went to No. 7 Texas Tech and No. 11 BYU instead — it wasn’t likely the College Football Playoff selection committee would rank Utah in the top 10 of Tuesday’s rankings. The Utes would need to rank that high as an at-large team because the five highest-ranked conference champions earn automatic bids.

  1. Ohio State (12-0, 9-0 Big Ten) [63 first-place votes]
  2. Indiana (12-0, 9-0 Big Ten)
  3. Georgia (11-1, 7-1 SEC)
  4. Oregon (11-1, 8-1 Big Ten)
  5. Ole Miss (11-1, 7-1 SEC)
  6. Texas Tech (11-1, 8-1 Big 12)
  7. Texas A&M (11-1, 8-1 SEC)
  8. Oklahoma (10-2, 6-2 SEC)
  9. Notre Dame (10-2)
  10. Alabama (10-2, 7-1 SEC)
  11. BYU (11-1, 8-1 Big 12)
  12. Vanderbilt (10-2, 6-2 SEC)
  13. Miami (10-2, 6-2 ACC)
  14. Texas (9-3, 6-2 SEC)
  15. Utah (10-2, 7-2 Big 12)
  16. Virginia (10-2, 7-1 ACC)
  17. USC (9-3, 7-2 Big Ten)
  18. Michigan (9-3, 7-2 Big Ten)
  19. James Madison (11-1, 8-0 Sun Belt)
  20. North Texas (11-1, 7-1 AAC)
  21. Tulane (10-2, 7-1 AAC)
  22. Arizona (9-3, 6-3 Big 12)
  23. Georgia Tech (9-3, 6-2 ACC)
  24. Tennessee (8-4, 4-4 SEC)
  25. Navy (9-2, 7-1 AAC)

Schools Dropped Out

No. 24 Pitt, No. 25 SMU

New to the poll this week

No. 22 Arizona, No. 25 Navy

Others Receiving Votes

Iowa 85, Houston 73, Missouri 52, SMU 28, Washington 18, UNLV 17, Pitt 15, South Florida 12, Illinois 9, Louisville 6, UConn 6, TCU 5, Penn State 5, Old Dominion 2, New Mexico 2, Arizona State 2, San Diego State 1

MORE UTAH NEWS & ANALYSIS

Source: Utah News