Adreian Payne

ABOUT ADREIAN PAYNE

Power forward/center who helped lead Michigan State to the Sweet 16 in 2012 and 2013 and the Elite Eight in 2014. He was selected 15th overall in the 2014 NBA Draft by the Atlanta Hawks then traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves midway through the 2014-15 season. In 2022, he was shot and killed while trying to prevent a domestic dispute.

He starred at Jefferson High School, and led the team to a Division IV state championship.

As a junior at Michigan State, he led the Big 10 in free throw percentage, despite being a center. He played on over 10 teams throughout his 8-year professional career.

His parents were Thomas Payne and and Gloria Lewis, though he was raised mostly by his grandmother, Mary Lewis.

The legendary Tom Izzo coached him during his four years at Michigan State.