In a sports world that is often dominated by headlines like this, the Oregon State Beaver doesn’t get as much coverage as one would think.
Of course, Gary Payton II is the son of NBA Hall Of Fame point guard – and also a former Beaver – Gary Payton. This could be confusing, because in a George Forman-esque situation, Gary’s other son is also Gary Jr. Thankfully, his sister’s name is Raquel, not Garyetta.
On the floor, the father and son have their similarities and differences.
Like his dad, Payton II has a knack for coming up with the ball. He is currently second in the country in steals per game with 2.9 a contest. Also, for a guard, he has an uncanny rebounding ability, snagging over eight boards a game.
Gary Sr., despite having the nickname “the glove” in the league, could also put the ball in the hoop with gusto; he was a scorer as much as a defender, and he could do it in a number of ways. He could shoot it from deep, mid-range, and finish. With that said, what he wasn’t is as athletic above the rim as Gary II.
The 6’3″ lefty junior can stuff stat sheets largely in part because of his athletic ability. He blocks shots and rebounds above the rim, and as you can see here, if you give him an angle, he may put one on your head in a highlight dunk.
His dad said this of him in a recent interview: “He has to work on his jump shot a little bit more. . . One major thing that I don’t like about him — and think it’s going to be something he has to improve to impress some of these NBA scouts that are coming around now — is he has to play with high energy throughout the game.”
Maybe his jumper isn’t quite “NBA ready” yet, but Payton II is shooting nearly 52% from the field and 34% from beyond the arc, not bad numbers to go along with his 12.3 points per game.
He leads the team, who is currently 11-4, (2-1) coming off a win over #7 Arizona, in points, rebounds and steals and is also a close second in assists and blocks.
Oh, and earlier in the season he recorded a triple-double against Grambling State. Recording a triple-double is special in itself, but it’s highlighted because he is just the second player in Beaver history to do so. The first? You guessed it: Gary Payton Sr. He did it 26 years ago.
There’s still a long way to go for Payton II and the Beavers, but if he can keep up his level of play, along with his backcourt mate Langston Morris-Walker, who is also average over 10 points and nearly 5 rebounds a game, the Beavers could find themselves in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1990.
#1 on the Roster for Oregon State may have the same name as his famous father who came before, but he is certainly making a name for himself in Corvallis.
*Section Photo credit to Ethan Miller, Getty Images; Featured Photo (above) credit to Godofredo Vasquez, USA TODAY Sports.
