The Race for Mr. Basketball: Chris Payton
In this series we take a look at the potential candidates for Mr. Basketball in the state of Illinois for this upcoming season. Here we profile Bloomington senior power forward Chris Payton.
Profile:
Payton is a 6’7” four man from Bloomington High School. He had an outstanding junior year. To the point that we would say other than Liddell he was probably the most productive post player in the state last season regardless of class. He is an excellent rebounder and has such a great feel for scoring around the hoop especially for his high school team.
Odds to Win:
25/1
Why He Can Win:
Numbers! Payton is going to post dominant numbers as a senior. It wouldn’t shock us to see him go for 22/10/3 throughout the season. With his dominant performances game in and game out he is going to garner attention. He is the top candidate from the central Illinois region this year. Bloomington always has a good team and plays a quality schedule going to multiple shootouts which will give him an opportunity to shine state wide.
Obstacles to Win:
Fair or unfair he is going to always be compared in this class to Liddell. Bloomington had a great team last year. Can they match that same mark again this season? Will he get the recognition from other parts of the state?