Who is the best “big man” (C/F) in the Beehive state, Trent Plaisted, Luke Nevill, or ? ? Most Zoobies will quickly defend Plaisted as the top big man by attacking Nevill’s sometimes lack luster effort on the hardwood, and Luke’s frequent visits to the bench due to foul trouble. The Crimson Corner will fire back with a solemn reminder that Plaisted doesn’t seem to show up when it matters most, and his wife is addicted to prescription drugs!
So far this season the stat sheet looks thusly:
Nevill
14 Points–7 Rebounds–1.4 Assists–48.8% Field Goals Percentage
Plaisted
17.4 Points–9.8 Rebounds–2.3 Assists–59.1% Field Goal Percentage
?
Or what about ? You may not have heard his name. His statistics are among the tops in his Conference. Perhaps his teams 2-10 start puts him off the local radar. Or his obscurity may be due to the fact that he plays in a town noted for its Shakespearean Festival instead of its hoops program! He averages 21.2 points per game, grabs 7.3 boards, and dishes out 1.2 assists per contest. He ranks 21st nationally in scoring and 3rd in his conference. While he hasn’t played the likes of Michigan State, North Carolina, Louisville, Washington, or California, anyone who can throw up such numbers in Division I basketball should be noted. Is he the best C/F in the State of Utah? You’ll have to decide for yourself. Just know who he is. He put up 28 on my Boise St. Broncos. Meet Geoff Payne.
January 2, 2008 at 7:57 pm |
If you’ve ever seen Payne play you’ll see that this kid plays hard with a lot of heart. He hustles every minute of the game. He played well against BYU in a closer than 15 point point loss. He had 32 points and 11 boards in a road win at Oakland (Mich.). Oakland just upset Oregon a few weeks back. Payne is good. More and more people are catching on to this. If his team played anywhere near the Utah media mecca of SLC, he’d have the attention he deserves.