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UD eliminated from Jefferson star's plan

Jefferson's Adreian Payne moves in to shoot despite pressure from Dunbar's Steve White and Shawn Smith in the first half at Dunbar High School on Friday, Dec. 19, 2008.

Contributed photo by E.L. Hubbard Jefferson's Adreian Payne moves in to shoot despite pressure from Dunbar's Steve White and Shawn Smith in the first half at Dunbar High School on Friday, Dec. 19, 2008.

ENLARGE PHOTO

Blog: Payne headed out of state

By Doug Harris, Staff Writer Updated 10:02 PM Friday, July 24, 2009

DAYTON — Playing close to home can be an enticement for some recruits, but Jefferson High School’s Adreain Payne looked at it as a negative.

The 6-foot-10 senior center — ranked as the 15th-best prospect in the nation by Scout.com and the 20th-best by Rivals.com — has decided he wants to play college basketball out of state and has eliminated Dayton from consideration.

Payne said he has pared his list to five schools: Kansas, Kentucky, Arizona, Michigan State and West Virginia.

“I know a lot of people in Dayton, and I want to be focused on school without a lot of distractions,” Payne said by phone from Orlando between games in an AAU tournament.

“I like the (UD) players a lot. Chris (Wright) is my cousin and everything. It was a tough decision. ... I don’t know where I want to go, but I just feel it was too close.”

Asked how firm he was about ruling out Dayton, Payne said: “I’m pretty solid with my decision.”

Jefferson coach Art Winston said he and Payne have had frequent discussions during the recruiting process, weighing the pros and cons of schools.

“He has a great understanding about what he wants and what he’s looking for and the style of play he wants to play. ... This young man is more mature than a lot of people give him credit for,” Winston said.

The Flyers’ 2010 recruiting class includes two top-100 recruits nationally, guards Juwan Staten of Dayton and Brandon Spearman of Chicago. With three perimeter players and a power forward in the fold, UD likely will still seek a post player with its final scholarship.

Staten had been trying to persuade Payne, a close friend and AAU teammate, to follow him to Dayton. But Winston said: “He likes Juwan, but this is about being your own individual. That’s what college is all about.”

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2000 or flastname@DaytonDailyNews.com.

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