Junior center Adreian Payne dunks Jan. 31, 2013, during the game against Illinois at Breslin Center. The Spartans defeated the Fighting Illini 80-75. Julia Nagy/The State News
After weeks of speculation, MSU junior center Adreian Payne has made a decision to return to school for his senior season, according to Yahoo! Sports reporter Adrian Wojnarowski.
Citing an anonymous source in a tweet on Sunday, Wojnarowski said Payne will join freshman guard Gary Harris in the decision to return to the MSU men’s basketball program for another season.
“Michigan State’s Adreian Payne will return to school for his senior year, a source told Y! Sports. Midnight deadline to enter NBA Draft,” Wojnarowski said in a tweet.
During his junior season at MSU, Payne averaged 10.5 points and 7.6 rebounds per contest and proved to be a major factor in the Spartans’ run to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.
If the report proves true, many anticipate MSU will challenge for a top-three spot in NCAA men’s basketball preseason rankings and will be fueled up to make a run at the national championship — the program’s first since the 1999-00 season.
The NBA Draft Early Entry Eligibility Deadline is tonight at 11:59 p.m. EST.
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