Let's talk about Michael Payne.
- Thread starter MelroseMauler
- Start date
Initially, he was better than Greg and then regressed. I think he was too lanky and not ready for the banger style of the old big ten.
from hawkeyerecap.com:
Michael Payne attended Quincy High School in Quincy, Illinois. As a sophomore, he helped lead his team to the state runner-up, and won the state title his senior year, where he was named to the All-Tournament team and the All-State team. He was also the runner-up for the first Mr. Basketball award in Illinois in 1981.
At Iowa, he was an All-Big 10 selection four straight years, and was named to the freshman All-American team.
He was drafted by the Houston Rockets in the 3rd round of the 1985 NBA draft, but played professionally in Europe.
He was inducted into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1986.
Michael Payne attended Quincy High School in Quincy, Illinois. As a sophomore, he helped lead his team to the state runner-up, and won the state title his senior year, where he was named to the All-Tournament team and the All-State team. He was also the runner-up for the first Mr. Basketball award in Illinois in 1981.
At Iowa, he was an All-Big 10 selection four straight years, and was named to the freshman All-American team.
He was drafted by the Houston Rockets in the 3rd round of the 1985 NBA draft, but played professionally in Europe.
He was inducted into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1986.
Not the case at all, get your facts straight, Payne was a center at Quincy that had just finished their season as Illinois State Champions.
After coming to Iowa his freshmen year, he was again put at the center position where he was much more comfortable playing with his back to the basket and played pretty good that year averaging over 10 a game.
The next year, the last for Lute Olsen, Lute decided to play Greg Stokes in the middle even though he was a couple inches shorter then Payne and moved Payne to the wing, hence the twin towers.
Payne never felt comfortable playing facing the basket and he struggled in his playing consistency, he still was awful good just not as good as everyone predicted he would become. Stokes playing the center position was probably the right choice as he improved greatly from his freshman year to his sophomore year and was much more muscular then the rail thin Michael. That was a great team and losing to Missouri to end the season and Lute leaving Iowa for Arizona really was a major downer for us rabid Iowa Hawkeye basketball fans.
Dude, no offense, but re-read my post. What you've written basically just expounds on what I wrote. Herp derp.
Yes, but Payne didn't regress, he flat lined the next 3 years and Greg Stokes became the go too guy. Michael just never reached the potential that most of the Iowa fans had heaped on him. He was still damn good and started all 4 years at Iowa.
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I got his autograph when he worked at some little sporting goods store by Allen's at First Ave./10th? St.
Building on the NW corner, kitty corner from Allen's.
Building on the NW corner, kitty corner from Allen's.
Some little sporting goods store?! That was the legendary, imo at least, Eby's Sporting Goods.
They always had the best stuff and supplied many local schools. Named after a co-owner who was also a Coe College coach and AD. There he was definitely legendary (led lil' ol' Coe against the likes of Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Notre Dame, etc.. Crazy era back then, the early 20th century).
Iowa lost to Villanova in Kansas City by one to end the 1983 season. That was in the sweet 16.
Both Payne and Kevin Boyle saw their scoring averages decrease each season in their careers.
The truly rabid fans recall 7-seed Iowa beating 2-seed Missouri.
I recall the 80's very well. I remember Michael Payne as being not very physical and played soft in my opinion for that era of college basketball. He would have been great now and would fit into Fran's teams well.
I had a chance to stand next to him long after his playing days. He was filled out. He is huge in person. I believe that he had some life difficulties while he was at Iowa.
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I too recall his best year was his first at iowa
he probably would have been a one and done today. McD AA and freshmen AA.
I remember Payne as being not very athletic. Lay up after lay up. Rarely a dunk as if he had a hard time elevating such as Woody….
U didn't say much in your 1st post.
I would further expound on it. Payne didn't regress after his Freshman year so much as fail to improve/develop new scoring moves/adjust to his new position at PF. He would never have been as good at scoring from center as Greg Stokes because Greg had a some slick post scoring moves which Payne did not.
It was great that Payne went to Iowa...his Father was a legacy and succesful business guy and MIchael could have gone anywhere as he was very highly rated out of H.S.
No, it was not Eby's.
Eby's was easy of Coe, next to the Times Theater. We went to Smokey and the Bandit there, last movie before it became a porn theater IIRC
The building I am referring to is now, or was, the Chipokas law practice.
Well, he "seemed" more athletic than he really was, if that makes any sense. He could run the floor and move well and he got into position to score a lot of points, but he missed more layups and 3 footers than anyone I've ever seen. Shot just below 45%, which isn't very good for an inside player.
Stokes, for example, shot 54.5% for his career.
I looked it up because I was curious. I remember the name, but honestly I have no recollection of where I've all been to an Ebys, nor do I remember the logo or the store itself. Just remember the name. I totally thought it was a mall chain like a Finish Line that had stores everywhere. Apparently the fact that we had one at our mall as well as seeing them out of town, likely quad cities and ceder rapids, I assumed in the pre internet days they were everywhere.
Anyway, this old article about their history and closure said they once had 10 stores in total.
Eby's Sporting Goods to close
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) -- Eby's Sporting Goods, which once had 10 stores stretching from Omaha, Neb., to Moline, Ill., is closing after 50 years.
Eby's was cool to start.I looked it up because I was curious. I remember the name, but honestly I have no recollection of where I've all been to an Ebys, nor do I remember the logo or the store itself. Just remember the name. I totally thought it was a mall chain like a Finish Line that had stores everywhere. Apparently the fact that we had one at our mall as well as seeing them out of town, likely quad cities and ceder rapids, I assumed in the pre internet days they were everywhere.
Anyway, this old article about their history and closure said they once had 10 stores in total.
Eby's Sporting Goods to close
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) -- Eby's Sporting Goods, which once had 10 stores stretching from Omaha, Neb., to Moline, Ill., is closing after 50 years.qconline.com
First Ave., Coldstream Ave., and Westdale were all good locations in the day.
When he moved from center too forward his performance dropped radically. He just wasn't as good facing the basket.
A carload of us drove to Quincy to watch Michael Payne his senior year. He played point on the full court press, his arms seeming to reach both sidelines.
The refs let Pinone go over the back of Iowa players time after time and called fouls on Iowa players. Houston played the Iowa fight song before the next game and took out Villanova.
And Derrick Wittenberg threw a sweet pass to take out Houston 😉
Wasn't Iowa in on Bruce Douglas as well? Ended up at Illinois.
I can recall a game on TV (I think it was in the Fieldhouse), Hansen with the ball on a break on the left side with Payne on the right. Hansen alley-ooped to Payne, who slammed it home one-handed. Would be so cool if there were a video clip of that somewhere.
Boyle played with a badly injured shooting hand his senior year I believe.
I was sitting under the north basket at the FH when Iowa was playing IU, had to have been 1981. Boyle and I Thomas went for a loose ball and bashed heads. If memory serves, Boyle got knocked the **** out, split his head open, and had a huge knot post game. Thomas walked away unfazed.
Really?!!
I had forgot about Payne working in CR until you mentioned it. Then it instantly came to mind it was Eby's. OTOH, there was an Eby's in IC so it perhaps would have made more sense for him to have worked there if indeed he worked for Eby's.
Now I'm a lil curious what this stinking interloper store was.
Thomas did NOT walk away unfazed from that collision with Boyle. He still bears a wicked horshoe shaped scar above his eye from that encounter.
