Cameron Payne

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Final Pacers Mock Draft Projections (June 25)

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Updated Pacers Mock Draft Projections (June 19)

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Latest Pacers Mock Draft Projections (June 15)

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Updated Pacers Mock Draft Projections

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Most NBA drafts have one, it seems: the small college or mid-major point guard unknown to most of the nation but who catches the eye of scouts and winds up a first-round selection.

Last year, it was Elfrid Payton out of Louisiana-Lafayette, who went to Orlando with the 10th pick. Two years ago it was C.J. McCollum out of Lehigh, who went to Portland with the 10th pick. Three years ago it was Damian Lillard out of Weber State, who went to Portland with the sixth pick.

PHOTO GALLERY: Pacers Host Six Prospects for Pre-Draft Workout »

This year, perhaps, it's Cameron Payne, who left Murray State after his sophomore season. That  decision has been endorsed by his rising stock in the early mock drafts, which project him as a first-round pick –  perhaps even a late lottery pick.

Payne was one of six players working out for the Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Monday. He likely will be available to them with the 11th pick in the draft, assuming lightning doesn't strike at Tuesday's lottery draw and launch them up to one of the top three picks. But he probably won't last long after the 11th pick, having been rated as one of the top point guards in the draft.

RELATED: Notes on All Six Prospects at Monday's Workout »

Payne is grabbing the attention of NBA scouts and media members for his skill set and crafty style of play, but also for his polite, innocent demeanor and unique appearance. The 20-year-old left-hander's aura  practically screams, "Cute kid!”"

"My whole saying is, 'Don't wake up!'" Payne said following Monday's workout. "This is my dream."

Payne was reminded of that when Pacers president Larry Bird paused to tap Payne on the shoulder and wish him luck while returning to his office. Payne, who was in the midst of answering a question, was so startled he lost his train of thought.

"Hold on, could you repeat that?" he asked.

Payne was born in 1994, two years after Bird retired from playing in the NBA, but has heard and seen enough, and is impressionable enough, to be in awe of any Hall of Famer. His coach at Murray State, Steve Prohm, made a point of showing clips of Bird to him, including the one in which he hit a shot from behind the backboard in a preseason game.

"It's inspiring to be in the gym with a Hall of Famer," Payne said. "And right now he's not criticizing you, he's not going in on you at all, he's there encouraging. It's a blessing to be here and a blessing to see him in the stands. It's things you dream of."

Payne isn't just living in a dreamworld, though. He's putting in the time, having grown accustomed to having to prove himself along the way. He was not highly recruited out of high school, partially because he came off the bench for his powerful AAU team and partially because he just didn't look like a major college recruit.

"In 12th grade, I looked like I was 13 years old," he said, smiling. "I didn't pass the eye test. Just looking at me, you automatically say 'I don't think he's big enough or has the athletic ability.' Once I got playing, everything changed."

Payne's scholarship offers came from the likes of Jacksonville, Wichita State and College of Charleston. Memphis, his hometown school, came in with a late high-major offer after he had verbally committed to Murray State, but he stayed loyal to the program that had recruited him all along.

That's another quality that impresses NBA teams.

He was the Ohio Valley Conference Freshman of the Year, and then the Player of the Year last season, when he led the OVC in scoring (20.2) and assists (6). Murray State won 25 straight games and went 16-0 in conference play, but lost on a last-second shot in the final game of the conference tournament and failed to make the NCAA tournament, where he would have received more exposure.

Still, he had his moments against higher levels of competition. He finished with 23 points, seven rebounds and four assists against Xavier, and went up against a 6-8 defender whose primary assignment was to contain him and had 14 points, 10 assists and one turnover against UTEP.

Bird, in comments to the Indianapolis Star, described Payne as "nice little player" who "didn't play against top schools but that doesn't mean he can't play." Bird would know, having come out of Indiana State.

Payne began gearing up for a possible entry into the NBA draft midway through his sophomore season at Murray State. He and a former Murray State player, Aubrey Reese, began working together at 6 a.m., working on his shooting and other skills.

"I really changed my habits the second half of the season," he said. "It's crazy, it was actually showing. So hard work does pay off."

Payne decided to enter the draft with just a couple of games left in the season. He asked Prohm what he would advise him to do if he were his son. Prohm said he looked like a first-round draft pick, and should go. Payne enrolled in the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. after the season to train, and was a limited participant in the NBA's pre-draft camp in Chicago. He was among those players who participated in drills and met with NBA personnel for interviews, but did not play in five-on-five scrimmages.

He's regarded as a bit undersized for the NBA, having measured in Chicago at 6-0 ¾ and 183 pounds (think Jeff Teague) but has a long wingspan (6-7) and a 35-inch vertical jump. He's a solid shooter, hitting 38 percent of his 3-pointers and 79 percent of his foul shots last season, but his greatest attribute is his passing and intangibles. He has a genuine knack for finding open teammates and is a natural leader who wants to coach after his playing days end.

"I do a lot of the little things," he said. "I like to get my teammates involved."

He says he'd like to do those things for the Pacers. It seems a natural fit in some ways. He would go from playing for the Racers to the Pacers and keep the blue and gold uniform colors. They need point guards, too. Bird has already said he doesn't plan to re-sign backup point guard C.J. Watson, and No. 3 point guard Donald Sloan also is a free agent.

"I think I'm a great fit," Payne said. "I think I can help the team out a lot, be a great teammate, help them try to win a championship."

Have a question for Mark? Want it to be on Pacers.com? Email him at askmontieth@gmail.com and you could be featured in his next mailbag.

Note: The contents of this page have not been reviewed or endorsed by the Indiana Pacers. All opinions expressed by Mark Montieth are solely his own and do not reflect the opinions of the Indiana Pacers, their partners, or sponsors.

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Payne Hopes to Continue a Trend

The Pacers hosted six prospects at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Monday for the first pre-draft workout open to the media. Head coach Frank Vogel and assistants Nate McMillan, Dan Burke, and Popeye Jones led the players through the workout, which featured agility drills and closed with some three-on-three work.

The Pacers still don't know where they're picking in the draft, which will take place at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on June 25. The exact draft order will be determined tomorrow night at the NBA Draft Lottery. Indiana is currently slotted to have the 11th pick in the first round with a 2.9-percent chance of jumping into the top three. The Blue & Gold will also have either the 42nd or 43rd overall selection in the second round.

PHOTO GALLERY: Monday's Pre-Draft Workout »

Monday's workout featured four talented scoring guards and a pair of athletic big men, all ranked among the top 55 prospects in the latest mock draft from Draft Express. Murray State's Cameron Payne and Notre Dame's Jerian Grant, both point guards, are currently projected to go in the first round of the draft. Draft Express projects the other four players, guards Olivier Hanlon (Boston College) and Joseph Young (Oregon) and forwards Rakeem Christmas (Syracuse) and Richaun Holmes (Bowling Green), to be picked in the second round.

I had the chance to interview all six prospects for Pacers.com (you can watch the interviews in the player above). Below are a few notes on each player.

Christmas had a breakout performance at last weekend's NBA Draft Combine in Chicago. He measured out at nearly 6-foot-10 in shoes with a frighteningly long 7-foot-5 wingspan. But Christmas really turned heads with his play on the court.

Christmas dominated in five-on-five games on Thursday, scoring 20 points on 7-of-10 shooting and collecting six rebounds in 29 minutes of action. The next day, he tallied another 19 points and six boards in 26 minutes. Those two performances have sent his stock soaring.

"I was just out there having fun and playing my game," Christmas said. "I mean, it was a great experience. Not a lot of people get to go out there and play. So, I just went out there and everything was falling for me."

Christmas was a late bloomer at Syracuse. Though he played a significant role for the Orange as an energetic shot-blocker and rebounder in his first three years on campus, Christmas took on a much heavier scoring load as a senior. His scoring average rocketed from 5.8 points per game as a junior to 17.5 in his final year collegiate season.

An explosive athlete, Christmas has always had the raw talent to succeed at the next level. The consummate teammate, he was content to play a supporting role on loaded Syracuse teams that featured several players currently in the NBA (Michael Carter-Williams, Dion Waiters, Tyler Ennis, and Jerami Grant). But over the past year (and especially the past week), Christmas has shown that he's also comfortable in the spotlight.

It's been a whirlwind week for Grant. He traveled to Chicago last week for the combine, then headed back to South Bend yesterday to attend his Notre Dame graduation before heading back down to Indianapolis.

In Chicago, Grant measured out at a little over 6-foot-4 in shoes, good size for a pure point guard. Grant uses that size well on the offensive. He's an excellent passer and rarely turns the ball over. Over his career at Notre Dame, he showed great improvement at finishing around the basket (he shot 57-percent from inside the 3-point arc as a senior).

The biggest knock on Grant is his outside shot. He shot a pedestrian 31.6-percent from 3-point range last season, and is well aware that he needs to demonstrate an improved stroke at the next level, saying that's an area where he hopes to display "more consistency" over the next month.

"I think knocking down shots at a high clip is something that I’m definitely going to need to use in this league," Grant said.

Still, Grant's polished point guard skills have him currently projected as a mid-first round pick (ESPN.com's Chad Ford currently ranks Grant as the 17th-best prospect in the draft).

As he goes through this process, Grant can lean on several people in his inner circle who know what he's going through. Grant's father, Harvey, played 11 years in the NBA. His uncle, Horace, was in the league for 17 seasons. Jerian's younger brother, Jerami, just finished his rookie year with the Philadelphia 76ers. And at DeMatha Catholic High School just outside of D.C., Jerian Grant was high school teammates with former Indiana University All-American and current Orlando Magic guard Victor Oladipo, who he texts with "almost every day."

"He's just talking me through it, wishing me luck, telling me what to expect, and to really just go out there and compete and play as hard as you can and you know, that'll stand out," Grant said.

Jerian Grant faced a lot of great players over his career at Notre Dame, but he said the toughest player for him to guard was Olivier Hanlan. Hanlan, a 22-year-old Canadian combo guard, proved himself as an elite scorer in his three seasons at Boston College.

He averaged over 15 points and 34 minutes per game in all three years with the Eagles, boasting career-best averages of 19.5 points and 4.2 assists as a junior before electing to turn pro. Hanlan played primarily at the shooting guard position in his first two years at BC, but moved back to point guard (his natural position) as a junior after a coaching change.

"It was great having the ball a lot more and different reads, playing a lot off the ball screen, a lot of ball screen looks and making plays for my teammates," Hanlan said. "I really improved a lot when it came to that aspect of the game."

Hanlan can more than hold his own on the court, but he apparently made a lasting impression off the court on several teams at last week's combine. Just look at this tweet from venerated NBA scribe Adrian Wojnarowski:

"I was just being myself to be honest," Hanlan said of the interview process. "I had some great conversations with many different teams. Everybody's kind of stressed out at first, you're not used to meeting with NBA teams but I enjoyed it, I had good times, a lot of laughs."

Holmes was the most anonymous player at Monday's workout, largely a reflection of playing in the MAC as opposed to a high-major conference. But he's been making a significant impression on scouts over the past month.

The 6-foot-9 forward has attended both the draft combine and the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament (a pre-draft camp for the top college seniors in the country) in recent weeks. At both events, Holmes showcased an elite athleticism that should allow him to be at minimum a strong rebounding and shot-blocking specialist at the professional level.

If he wants to stick in the NBA, Holmes might want to demonstrate an added dimension to his game. One area where he has shown promise is with his shooting stroke. He took a little over one 3-pointer per game as a senior at Bowling Green and connected on 42 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc. Holmes is actively working to continue developing his shot to adapt to the longer NBA 3-point line.

"I definitely think that’s something I can do," Holmes said. "I have the capability to do that and I'm working on it as we speak to become that pick-and-pop guy spacing the floor."

Holmes had a mini-reunion of sorts on Monday with Pacers forward Shayne Whittington, who just finished his rookie year with Indiana. Holmes and Whittington had several memorable battles in the post when Whittington was at Western Michigan, another MAC school.

Whittington was at Bankers Life Fieldhouse during Monday's workout and took some time to catch up with his old college rival.

"Shayne is an incredible player," Holmes said. "Back at Western Michigan, I always enjoyed competing against him. So I'm glad he's doing well."

Payne is sky-rocketing up mock draft boards, jumping up to 11th (coincidentally where the Pacers are currently projected to pick) on Chad Ford's latest prospect rankings.

Pacers.com's Mark Montieth chronicled Payne's journey from receiving little attention coming out of high school to emerging as a media darling.

Whether he's a good fit for the Pacers on the court remains to be seen, but I can promise that no one in the local media will complain if Payne ends up in Indiana. The play-making point guard was a great quote with an outgoing personality, staying late for several one-on-one interviews.

"It's great to finally be noticed, but it just builds my confidence and makes me go harder," Payne said about all the attention he's receiving, before tacking on another sentence with a mix of sincerity and humor. "So I really appreciate everyone looking at me and starting to realize Cameron Payne is actually a good player."

Payne was also excited to get to interact with Pacers assistant Popeye Jones, who starred at Murray State from 1989-92. The two former Racers immediately bonded.

"He definitely was down here helping me on the defensive end and coaching me up," Payne said. "Murray State, we stay strong, so I really appreciate him being here and helping me out."

Young might have been the most gifted scorer at Monday's workout. The 6-foot-2 combo guard averaged 18 points per game or better in each of his final three collegiate seasons, and shot better than 41 percent from 3-point range as both a sophomore and a junior.

The biggest question mark surrounding Young is what position he can play at the next level. He played almost exclusively at shooting guard in college, both at Houston (where he spent two seasons before transferring) and Oregon. But Young is a little too small to play at the 2 at the next level, so he's hoping to show NBA teams that he's able to make the transition over to point guard.

"I’m versatile and a scorer," Young said. "(But also) I can distribute and be a good leader."

There's no better evidence of Young's leadership than what he did early in his senior year at Oregon. The Ducks got off to an up-and-down start, dropping three of their first eight games. So Young took it upon himself to organize early morning meetings with the freshmen on the Duck's roster.

For two straight weeks, Young met the freshmen every morning at 8:00 a.m. for what he called "Joe's Chalk Talk," where they went over plays and discussed what they needed to do to get better.

Those "Chalk Talks" paid off. The Ducks reached the NCAA Tournament and advanced to the second round, where they held their own against top-seeded Wisconsin (Young scored 30 points in the loss to the Badgers). Young was named Pac-12 Player of the Year.

But despite the accolades he's received, Young feels like he's still being underestimated by scouts who might dismiss him as too small or not a true point guard.

"I've been overlooked all my life and I just continue to work," Young said. "All it does is it fuels me as a person and it helps my character."

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Scoring Guards, Athletic Bigs On Display at Monday's Workout

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Height: 6-2
Weight: 180
Position: PG
College: Murray State
Age: 20

PPG: 20.2
RPG: 3.7
APG: 6.0
BLK: 0.5
STL: 1.9

Player BioCourtesy of Murray State Athletics

Position: Guard
Height: 6-2
Weight: 175
Class: Freshman
Hometown: Memphis, Tenn.
High School: Lausanne Collegiate

Before MSU: Comes to MSU from Lausanne Collegiate School in Memphis, Tenn. ... Was part of a team that won the Tennessee 2A Private School championship with a 25-4 record ... He was named Mr. Basketball ... Averaged 20 points per game and 10 assists as a senior to go with four rebounds ... As a junior in 2011-12, he scored 22 points per game and dished out four assists per game ... Had a 34-point game against St. George’s Independent School ... Was was named to the Tennessee Sports’ Writer’s Association All-State Team ...  He was a three-time selection by The Commercial Appeal for its Best of Preps All-City Team ... He is considered the 41st-best point guard in the 2013 class by ESPN.com.

Personal: Born Aug. 8, 1994 ... Son of Tony and Leshawn Payne ... Undecided on a major.

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Cameron Payne: 2015 Draft Prospect

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The Indiana Pacers will host six prospects for the 2015 NBA Draft at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Monday for pre-draft workouts.

The six players scheduled to participate in workouts are Rakeem Christmas (Syracuse), Jerian Grant (Notre Dame), Olivier Hanlan (Boston College), Richaun Holmes (Bowling Green), Cameron Payne (Murray State), Joseph Young (Oregon). Players are subject to change.

The 2015 NBA Draft will take place on Thursday, June 25 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The Pacers own two picks in this year's draft, one pick in both the first and second rounds (exact pick order will be determined at the NBA Draft Lottery on Tuesday, May 19).