Zan Payne, son of Kenny Payne, will play at Kentucky

Photo by @magnolia_hoops

Ready for some excellent news? KSR has learned that Zan Payne, son of UK associate head coach Kenny Payne, will play for Kentucky next fall.

Payne, a 6’4″ 200 lbs. forward from Lexington Catholic, will presumably walk on for the Wildcats, which is huge news not only because Zan’s a solid player, but because it increases the chances that his dad will be in Lexington for a few more years. Kenny Payne is the reason many recruits, especially big guys, come to Kentucky, so having his son in the program could provide stability on the recruiting front.

News that Zan was considering walking on at Kentucky first broke late last year, but his father reportedly wanted his son to earn a Division I scholarship elsewhere. He was recently named Third Team All-State by the Courier-Journal after averaging 19.3 points his senior season. Back in December, he put up 22 points and 11 rebounds in front of his dad and Calipari at the Marshall County Hoops Fest, of which he was named Most Valuable Player.

Great, great news on several fronts. Congrats, Zan. We’re glad you’re staying in the family.

UPDATE: Josh Moore of the Herald-Leader interviewed Zan, who said he made the decision to come to Kentucky after suffering a season-ending knee injury in February.

“After I got hurt I decided that it’d be the best decision for me,” said Payne, the son of UK associate head coach Kenny Payne. “UK is gonna help me recover, and when I’m done recovering then I should be good to be on the court.”

Best wishes in your continued recovery, Zan.

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