SLCC Men's Basketball Standout Gary Payton II Signs NLI at Oregon State University

Son of NBA legend Gary Payton chooses his father's alma mater

SALT LAKE CITY—SLCC Men's Basketball standout Gary Payton II (Las Vegas, NV) signed his National Letter of Intent (NLI) to compete and study at Oregon State University (OSU) on Sunday while at his family home in Las Vegas, NV.

Payton II will follow in the footsteps of his 45 year-old NBA legend father Gary Payton in playing for the Beavers and is the second Bruin Men's Basketball player to choose a PAC-12 institution in the last two seasons (Sai Tummala, Arizona State University, 2012-2013).

A 6-foot-3, 175-pound sophomore guard, Payton II is known for his tenacious defense, high level of athleticism and ability to attack the basket. He hopes to help rebuild an OSU program that hasn't reached the NCAA National Tournament since his father played for the Beavers from 1987-1990.

Payton II is averaging 11.6 points, 7.6 rebounds and two assists per game for the Bruins this season. He will have two years of eligibility at OSU and joins a highly-touted incoming class including center Isaiah Manderson (Oldsmar, FL) and shooting guard Chai Baker (Malone, FL).

With his father, an NBA Hall of Fame Inductee, known during his playing days as "The Glove," Payton II carries the moniker of "The Mitten" and takes pride in being a defensive presence on the guard line.

He helped lead the Bruins to a 29-5 overall record and 14-1 mark in Scenic West Athletic Conference (SWAC) play last season. With Payton II on its roster, SLCC won its first outright SWAC and Region 18 championships last year and advanced to the 'Sweet 16' at the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) National Tournament in Hutchinson, KS.

Payton Sr. still owns several OSU records, including points scored in a single game (58 vs. USC, 2/22/90), field goals made in a career (829 in 120 career games) field goals made in a single season (288, 29 games) and many more long-standing offensive and defensive marks in the Beaver record books.

Payton II and the No. 17-ranked Bruins are currently at 6-1 overall and SLCC is averaging 80.7 points per game while allowing 70.2 points per outing to the opposition.