Adreian Payne is considered ancient by modern college basketball standards. The 6-foot-10 forward spent four years at Michigan State and is 23 years old.
In a draft class that boasts underclassmen as the headliners, Payne recommends you take notice of a cagey veteran.
"I think I am the most ready," Payne said of all the power forwards who declared for the NBA draft. "I have a lot of experience. I think I will come into this league and have a responsibility to play and do whatever it takes for the team to win."
Payne averaged 16.4 points and 7.3 rebounds in 28.1 minutes a game during his senior season with the Spartans. He is projected as a late first-round pick.
In addition to their two lottery picks, the Sixers have the second pick in the second round to go with four other second-round selections. Those picks could be packaged to move up if the Sixers are interested in grabbing Payne.
While Payne feels he is ready to contribute right away, he still believes his best playing days are ahead of him.
"I feel like I have a lot of room to grow," Payne said. "I started playing basketball late and I am open minded. I haven't been playing the game that long. I have a lot I can improve on. I don't know everything about the game. I am just trying to get better.
NBA
“I became a great player. I know I got better in a short period of time. Imagine what I can do if I have more time."
Payne does have a few obstacles he must overcome. He was recently diagnosed with Mononucleosis, but not before he looked lackluster on the court during the last couple of months of the season -- excluding his 41-point outburst against Delaware in the NCAA tournament.
"I was out there playing and didn't realize how tired I was," Payne said. "I don't have a time when it began, but from watching film you can see how tired I was during games."
Payne says he may have had Mono dating back to January but can’t pinpoint the exact time he came down with the illness. He was diagnosed two weeks after the Spartans lost in the tourney.
In addition to being sick the past couple months, Payne continually is asked about his basketball IQ after picking up the game at a late age.
"A lot of people think I can't pick up on systems or plays, but at Michigan State we run an NBA system, and we have over 100 plays and I did fine there," Payne stressed.
Despite the knocks, Payne holds no ill will toward his critics. After four years at one of college basketball’s powerhouses playing under head coach Tom Izzo, Payne insists his play proves just how savvy he is on the court.
Payne's development can be seen in his statistics. This past year, he shot 50.3 percent from the field, 42.3 percent from three-point range and 79.0 percent from the free throw line. Those last two numbers are major improvements for a player who as a freshman didn't attempt a three-pointer and shot a brutal 48.6 percent from the charity stripe.
Payne believes those drastic improvements are a sign of a player just scratching the surface of his development and not one who has reached the ceiling.
"I think being 23 doesn't mean anything," Payne said. "I haven't been playing basketball that long, so my body has not taken the toll that it would if I was already in the league. So I think I can still have a successful career."