Michigan State Basketball: Tom Izzo’s top recruiting victories
Adreian Payne was a pleasure to have at Michigan State. Besides dominating on the hardwood, he befriended a young girl by the name of Lacey Holsworth who was stricken with cancer at a young age and helped her enjoy her final days on this earth. It was one of those heartwarming stories that turned everyone into a fan of Payne.
Unfortunately, Lacey passed away following his senior season, but she got to attend a good amount of his games and helped him through tough times at Michigan State.
Coming out of high school, he was ranked the 20th-best player in the country and the 6-foot-10, Dayton, Ohio, native looked to be an athletic specimen for his size. He could rebound, he could defend and he could shoot — a rare combo for long, lanky centers. Kentucky made a strong push at him, but John Calipari didn’t make him feel at home enough.
Izzo won this big battle of recruiting Goliaths.
Payne was a project under Izzo as people were quick to label him a bust after just one season at Michigan State. He looked lost more often than not and averaged just 2.5 points and 2.4 rebounds per contest. Adreian then put up some more impressive numbers as a sophomore before really breaking out in his junior season.
As a junior, he averaged 10.5 points and 7.6 rebounds while really working on his outside shot. Payne’s senior season was his best as he averaged 16.4 points, 7.3 rebounds and shot over 42 percent from long range, leading Michigan State to the Elite Eight.
The big power forward was selected No. 15 overall by the Atlanta Hawks before getting traded to Minnesota. He’s now trying to work his way back into the rotation after stints in the D-League.
Next: 3. Class of 2016