Basketball: A star among us–Elfrid Payton making waves nationally

Tim Buckley, Daily Advertiser, October 13, 2013

His life has been altered exponentially in the three months since he struck gold last July with USA Basketball at the FIBA U19 World Championships in the Czech Republic.

Elfrid Payton, however, hasn’t changed a bit.

The Ragin’ Cajuns’ starting point guard is the same soft-spoken, polite, driven and determined teen he was before a whirlwind summer of 2013 in which he set to out see the world and wound up on the receiving end of all sorts of positive exposure as a result.

The only difference is that now many have taken notice of what those at UL and throughout the Sun Belt Conference already knew.

NBA scouts have an eye on him, including one at practice just the other day, even though he’s just a junior. Scribes around the globe have lent an ear and told his tale. And those who saw him play for the first time this year likelier than not shared what they saw by word of mouth.

“It’s been a rapid progression,” Cajuns coach Bob Marlin said.

“Opportunity presented itself, and another opportunity presented itself, and he’s risen to every opportunity, from high school senior year to every time (since).”

Payton wasn’t even named to the last year’s official preseason All-Sun Belt teams.

Not first team, not second, not even third team.

But he was a consensus selection on the conference’s official postseason first team after averaging 15.9 points, 5.5 assists and 2.4 steals (tied for 10th in the country) for the 13-20 Cajuns.

Now Payton is on every preseason All-Sun Belt first team imaginable – from Lindy’s to Athlon to Sporting News to USA Today Sports.

He’s the only junior on NBCSports.com’s Mid-Major All-America First Team, which also includes four seniors: South Alabama’s Augustine Rubit, Indiana State’s Jake Odum, Wichita State’s Cleanthony Early and Towson State’s Jerrelle Benimon.

And he’s No. 5 on Lindy’s list of the top points guard nationally going into this season, trailing only Arizona State’s Jahii Carson, New Mexico’s Kendall Williams, Ohio State’s Aaron Craft and his USA Basketball teammate in Prague, No. 1 Marcus Smart of Oklahoma State.

Lindy’s one-liner on Payton: “No relation to Gary; he just plays a lot like the (hall-of-famer) did.”

After playing around the planet as much as he did, UL’s Payton had a hunch – and heads-up from a couple coaches – that the spotlight would get brighter.

First he played exhibition games throughout China with a Christian ministry college team, Sports Reach, and later in the summer he toured Spain playing with his Cajun teammates.

In-between was the big break, a Marlin-initiated invite to the national-team camp that led to his starting for the USA team coached by Florida’s Billy Donovan that won gold at the highly scouted, heavily reported and well-regarded FIBA tourney.

Payton averaged 6.1 points, 2.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 2.3 steals as the Americans beat Brazil, Australia, Serbia, Canada, Lithuania and Serbia again, including nine points, six assists and five steals in the gold-medal game against the Serbs.

His late addition to the camp at the U.S. Olympic training center in Colorado Springs, Colo., was unexpected, and when he made the team so many who knew so little about him wanted to know much more.

“I was kind of surprised,” said Payton, a product of John Ehret High from Gretna, near New Orleans, who played most of his freshman UL season as a 17-year-old.

“But, at the same time, Coach Donovan and Coach Marlin talked to me about it about it, and told me I’m gonna be getting a lot more publicity, and about how (handling) success is going to be a big challenge. So I kind of (saw) it coming.”

With exposure comes hype, and Marlin knew it was important to prepare Payton for that – before the FIBA tourney, and especially after.

He said he told his prized pupil he needed “stay the course, remain humble.”

“He’s got to continue doing what he’s doing, and put in the work,” Marlin said. “It’s all about the work. … And his work speaks for itself. If he continues to improve, he’s gonna have a busy summer again next year.”

After Payton’s passport was stamped in China, the Czech Republic and Spain, he was a wanted man.

The Kiwanis Club in Lafayette asked to hear from him, and so did the Beaver Club. So Payton accompanied Marlin on speaking engagements with both.

But what especially pleased the Cajun coach is that when Payton was reminded of what he had to work on most, he got right to it.

“I’ve asked him to shoot the ball better – and I watched him shoot 525 3s last night,” Marlin, whose club opens its regular season Nov. 9 vs. Louisiana College, said late last week. “Shot it really well.”

The key to meeting expectations that come with gold, Payton said, is to “just stay in the gym, as I’ve done.”

“I know if I work hard it’s gonna pay off,” he said. “It’s paid off since I’ve been here, and it’s gonna continue to pay off.”

Marlin is happy to hear the register ring.

And he has no doubt it will continue to, especially because of the player Payton’s become over the short span since late in his sophomore season.

“He’s a student of the game,” said Marlin, who believes Payton learned valuable leadership traits from Smart – who opted against declaring for this year’s NBA Draft, and instead returned to Oklahoma State – while the two were in the Czech Republic. “He soaks everything in, and he rises to the challenge.

“He’s always been a great competitor,” Marlin added. “But his confidence level has risen. He knows he played and won a gold medal against the best 19-year-olds in the world.”

Around the time of his stint with the USA team, one of many national reporters who took interest in Payton naively asked him if he was “scared” by the surroundings and circumstances.

It was, in his estimation, the craziest thing he’s been asked since his newfound celebrity.

“I’m never scared to play against anybody,” Payton said. “I think I can play at that level, and play with those types of guys, and I was able to show it, thanks to Coach Marlin.”

Payton truly is grateful Marlin did what he did to get his point the invite. UL’s coach has a longstanding relationship with Donovan, and he made the key phone call.

“It’s just a blessing,” Payton said of his summer of both fun and success.

“I feel good that my hard work is paying off. It’s a testament to my coach. He’s been working hard to get my name out there. This is a way to give back to him, to make him proud.”

Marlin beams, but not just because of Payton’s progress. Rather, it’s his priorities. Over the summer, Payton gained respect for the level of international play. On the floor, he learned how to protect himself against body shots. Off it, he built his strength and added more than 10 pounds, getting his 6-foot-3 frame to 180-plus.

Yet he never forgot what matters most.

“That’s what his focus is (on) right now,” Marlin said. “It’s all about our team.”

Payton, quick to mention standout big man Shawn Long and his other UL teammates, makes a point of it.

“I try not to pay attention to that (or) get into that,” he said of the many individual accolades. I’m just trying to work on my game, get better every day, take it one day at a time. I’m trying to help my teammates get better, help myself get better, so we can win some games and ultimately win the Sun Belt championship.”