DaytonDailyNews.com

DAYTON — The more Jefferson coach Art Winston looks at Adreian Payne, the better the big fella looks.

The 6-foot-10 junior — with size 15 sneakers and a wing span measuring 7 feet, 2 inches — is maturing physically and athletically into a more complete basketball player.

"He looks bigger every day I see him," Winston said about his star power forward.

Winston's job gets bigger every day, too, as he keeps track of the college recruiters tugging at Payne's heartstrings.

"We're trying to get it organized so it's not a big ball of confusion for Adreian, because he's got a lot of schools coming at him," Winston said. "He's been real poised about it. It really hasn't gone to his head and that's been the impressive thing.

"He's getting a lot of attention, and yet he comes in, works, stays after practice, does the special post moves we have for him, and it's starting to pay off for him. He's a good kid."

Judging from his 22-point, 14-rebound performance in a 69-66 loss to Thurgood Marshall on Tuesday night, Payne is adjusting well to opponents' defensive pressure.

"Last year, he was a real good player, but he wasn't our main post guy," Winston said. "He was able to get backside rebounds and backside stickbacks.

"Coming into this season, he was the guy everybody knew we'd be getting the ball to. He wasn't used to being double- and triple-teamed, and he struggled early on passing the ball out of it. Now he's making quicker decisions, being stronger with the ball and being patient. He's really starting to make that progression into the next level of a player."

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or cludwig@DaytonDailyNews.com.