#5 Adreian Payne | F
Stats

Hometown: Dayton, OH

Height: 6'10"

Weight: 245

Position: Power Forawrd

Team: Michigan State

Class: Senior
Strengths

Right-handed… Payne is one of the best frontcourt prospects in the rising freshman class mainly due to his length and athleticism. At 6'9", he could be an elite defensive player right away given the minutes. He will be one of the best shot blockers in the Big Ten, especially playing off the ball… On the offensive end, Payne is still developing, but has the promise to be an effective player. He can score on the low blocks with either hand, favoring a baby hook shot or a short turn around jump shot. He is improving his jump shot and range. He can knock down shots consistently out to 12-15 feet. He has proven the ability the hit shots from behind the arc as a spot-up shooter or a trailer on the break, but is better suited in the low and high posts… He crashes the offensive glass hard with his athleticism and length and has the ability to put the ball right back up for a two-handed put-back… He runs the floor well with his quickness and long strides. If he can improve upon his ball-handling, he could develop into a point-forward. He has the court vision and unselfishness to play some small forward at the next level…
Weaknesses

Payne has quite a few things to improve upon before he becomes an elite member of his class. He has all the tools and talents, but he doesn't always put forth the effort or consistency to dominate. He should develop a better motor under Coach Izzo at Michigan State… His offensive game is still developing, including his mid-range jump shot, which has improved tremendously over the past few months, but will still need to be fine-tuned to increase range and consistency… Payne will need to add to strength to his extremely long, lengthy frame, while staying in shape. He won't be able to battle against the bigs of the Big Ten without this strength. With a better motor and a larger frame, Payne will become an extremely difficult matchup on the court. More strength will give Payne a base so that he can maintain a base in the low post, in scoring position... He needs to play on the ball post defense and learn to block shots without creating contact. His slender frame often leads to him getting pushed around and he has too much ground to make up to challenge the shot, resulting in a foul...
The Scouting Report: