Former Men’s Basketball: Elfrid Payton named to 1st Team All-Rookie squad

Tim Buckley, The Advertiser, May 18, 2015

 

Oct 28, 2014; New Orleans, LA, USA; Orlando Magic guard Elfrid Payton (4) against the New Orleans Pelicans during the first quarter of a game at the Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports(Photo: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sport)

 

 

Former UL point guard Elfrid Payton of the Orlando Magic was named Monday to the NBA’s All-Rookie First Team honor squad.

Payton, who averaged an NBA rookie-high 6.5 assists per game, received 121 first-team votes and 250 points overall in voting by a panel of 130 sportswriters and broadcasters throughout North America.

Andrew Wiggins of the Minnesota Timberwolves, the 2014-15 NBA Rookie of the Year, was the only unanimous choice with 130 first-ream votes.

Also named to the first team: the Chicago Bulls’ Nikola Mirotic (128 first-team, 258 points), Nerlens Noel of the Philadelphia 76ers’ (125 first-team votes, 252 points) and the Los Angeles Lakers’ Jordan Clarkson (74 first-team votes, 200 points).

The second-team picks: Marcus Smart (Boston Celtics), Zach LaVine (Minnesota), Bojan Bogdanovic (Brooklyn Bets), Jusuf Nurkic (Denver Nuggets) and Langston Galloway (New York Knicks).

Payton, from Gretna, was lightly recruited out of John Ehret High but starred during his three seasons with the Ragin’ Cajuns.

He helped lead UL to the 2014 NCAA Tournament and the Sun Belt Conference Tournament title, and after leaving school one year early he wound up as the No. 10 overall selection in last year’s NBA Draft.