Payne, out of Tabor Academy in Massachusetts, checks in at #19 among the small forwards and #78 overall. Payne is a big time athlete that can do a little bit of everything on the offensive end of the floor. He’s really good in transition, where his combination of athleticism, size, and power allow him to be an effective finisher at the rim. He makes shots in catch and shoot situations and is a tough slasher in the paint. On the other end, he rebounds it above the rim and makes a lot of plays in passing lanes with his plus instincts. He should be a priority recruit at the Division III level, but has a chance to end up playing for a scholarship.

Payne had some insane AAU games a year ago but never necessarily unlocked his full scoring arsenal for Tabor last season. But the 6-foot-5 wing looks poised to be a big time scorer this year and has his athleticism back. He can get above the rim for dunks and finishes, and he gets lots of elevation on his jumper—which he seems far more confident in. He’s going to have more on-ball opportunities this season, and his recruitment should continue to pick up as a result.

Payne has some nice wiggle to his game and shows off a lot more offensive creation and scoring ability with Team Sims than he does for his Tabor squad during the winter season. He’s a three level scorer who has a nice handle, and he can elevate at the rim for finishes and dunks. Seems like he’s getting some D1 and D2 looks, but I think his best fit would probably be at a super high level D3 school, where he would come in his freshman season and play a lot. It’s all about opportunity, and Payne looks vastly different in different basketball circumstances, so it’s important he finds a good home.

Payne was absolutely dominant on the offensive end on Saturday. He can score from all three levels and doesn’t really have a weakness to speak of on that end. He was throwing down dunks and finishing with finesse on both sides of the rim, he was hitting shots from the midrange, and he was knocking down three pointers. He’s also got a good understanding of movement, passing and spacing. Definite D1 player who I was extremely impressed with after watching in person for the first time.

Payne, a big guard that plays for Team Sims, recently announced his decisions to reclassify and transfer to Tabor Academy. An impressive vertical athlete, he’s a handful in transition when he can get downhill and attack the rim. He’s a three level scorer that show signs that he could be a secondary ball-handler and decision maker down the road. He’s a terrific finisher, showing the ability to finish through contact with either hand. Most impressively, he can really shoot the ball and is particularly effective when he gets his feet set early. His physical gifts allow him to guard up and down a position on the defensive end where he’s a strong rebounder for his position and does a good job of keeping the ball in front of him. A higher level of competition should be good for him, and I’d expect that he’ll eventually play his way onto the radar of scholarship level programs.