Prospect Spotlight: Vincent Payne (2021)
One fun part about covering high school basketball is the change you see in teams year-to-year. As rosters change through injury or players graduating/transferring, it opens up opportunities for others to step up and prove themselves. St. Maria Goretti experienced its fair share of roster turnover and 2021 guard Vincent Payne will be a player who is expected to take on a much bigger role.
Payne played spot, but important minutes for a very skilled, senior heavy Gaels squad last season. He came off the bench and supplied solid play defensively and acted as a floor stretcher on offense. Opposing teams didn’t account for him as much considering the amount of talent around him, but this season it won’t take long for him to become a big part of the scouting report.
The 6-foot-2 guard can get it going quickly from beyond the arc. One thing that he does better than the majority of players I’ve seen is move without the ball. You don’t often see him ball watching unless it’s a design in the play. Payne also is a threat in transition. He can finish around the rim and with his shooting ability, provides options to different situations.
“This year I’ll be expected to pick up my scoring and also be a leader out there,” Payne told Prep Hoops during the Top 250 Expo. “I need to be a vocal leader and also lead by example on the court.”
St. Maria Goretti was a force in the BCL last season. Although they lost a slew of talented seniors and a key player due to transferring, Payne still holds high expectations.
“We have the same expectations every season and that’s to win a BCL championship.” Payne said. “The last three years we’ve made it to the Alhambra Tournament, so that’s another expectation for us. We know we lost a lot last year, so we gotta pick it up this year.”
Payne has drawn interest from Shepard University and has impressed some Division I programs who have attended workouts this fall. It’ll take time to prove himself this season, but he’ll certainly be a player to keep an eye on as he approaches a breakout season in comparison to his sophomore campaign.