Louisville's decision to tab Kenny Payne as the program’s next basketball coach has been met with near universal praise. Payne has never been a head coach at the college level, but his recruiting and development track record as an assistant paints a portrait of a man ready to sit in the big chair. Today, Rivals.com’s Rob Cassidy has a look back at some of the most notable recruiting battles Payne helped win over the years as a way of giving fans a glimpse at what they might expect as the longtime assistant takes the reins of the Cardinals’ program.
FROM CARDINALSPORTS.COM: Video/statements from Payne's introductory press conference
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2022 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position
2023 Rankings: Rivals150
2024 Rankings: Top 40
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RANKING: No. 32 in the class of 2008
RECRUITMENT: Payne’s first McDonald's All-American, Dunigan may not have the same accolades or name recognition as some other players on this list but the recruiting victory was notable to say the least. Payne, who was at Oregon at the time, convinced the top 35 prospect to travel 2,100 miles away from his Chicago home for college despite offers from Illinois, Georgetown and Purdue, among others. The recruiting victory helped establish Payne as a force to be reckoned with on the trail and may have helped launch his career. Dunigan left college early and ended up playing the bulk of his pro career overseas, but the battle to land his commitment wasn't an easy one. Dunigan ran with the Meanstreets Grassroots squad, which remains on the Nike EYBL circuit.
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RANKING: No. 9 in 2015
RECRUITMENT: It took a lot of work to land the in-demand Murray, and Payne did the bulk of the heavy lifting for Kentucky. First, there’s the fact that Murray was the No. 9 prospect in his class and held offers from schools such as Maryland, Illinois, Indiana, Oregon and others. Then there are stories like this anecdote about the time Payne showed up to watch Murray work out, but first had to stand silent in a room while his target sat cross-legged and meditated for an extended period. Point is, Payne has long established he knows the ropes of the recruiting world and is capable of doing what it takes to recruit at the highest levels. One of the top freshmen in Kentucky history, Murray averaged 20.0 points, 5.2 rebounds in his lone season as a Wildcat and was selected by the Denver Nuggets with the seventh overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft.
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RANKING: No. 1 in 2015
RECRUITMENT: Recruiting the No. 1 player in the country is a different beast than landing any old five-star. It can’t be done by relying on program tradition or head coaching mystique. It’s an all-hands-on-deck effort, and Payne was standing near the center of things when Kentucky landed Labissiere. His No. 1 ranking proved to be suspect at best, but that doesn't mean the battle for his letter of intent was less fierce. Labissiere chose UK over finalists Memphis, North Carolina, Georgetown, Baylor and Tennessee in a nationally televised decision on ESPNU. Labissiere eventually became a late first-round pick and kicked around the NBA for a while before playing internationally.
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Ranking: No. 6 in 2016
Recruitment: Payne had a massive hand in luring Fox to Kentucky, as he has a relationship with Fox’s father that dates back to when the two played high school basketball against each other in Mississippi. According to a 2017 profile of Fox, Kentucky was the choice, in part, because of the family’s level of comfort with Payne and the way he conducts himself. Fox chose UK over fellow finalists Kansas, LSU and Louisville. He played just one season at Kentucky and garnered first-team All-SEC honors before jumping to the NBA, where the Sacramento Kings made him the fifth overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.
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RANKING: No. 9 in 2016
RECRUITMENT: Payne and Monk built an incredibly tight bond during the former five-star prospect’s recruitment and became even closer during their time together at Kentucky. Monk thanked Payne for mentoring him and for “guiding (him) through the entice process during the press conference to announce his decision to enter the 2017 NBA Draft. His pursuit of Monk and their relationship may be one of the best examples of Payne’s ability to form deep, genuine relationships on the recruiting trail. As a senior in high school, Monk was named Mr. Basketball in the state of Arkansas and was selected to the McDonald's All-American Game. He chose Payne and Kentucky over in-state Arkansas and countless others. Monk was SEC Player of the Year in his one season at Kentucky before being selected 11th overall in the NBA Draft.
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RANKING: No. 7 in the class of 2016
RECRUITMENT: Payne helped Kentucky land Adebayo back in 2015. Of course, Adebayo would go on to become an NBA All-Star and a key figure in the post-Lebron Era of Miami Heat basketball. Back in 2015, however, he was a prospect at Northside-Pinetown High School and held offers from places such as Kansas, North Carolina and Memphis, in addition to a number of other major programs. Adebayo chose Payne’s Wildcats over finalists Auburn and NC State live on ESPN’s "Mike & Mike in the Morning" radio show. How’s that for a shot of nostalgia?
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RANKING: No. 29 in 2014
RECRUITMENT: The Kentucky recruitment of the future Suns superstar was a bit of a group project. Head coach John Calipari and assistant Orlando Antigua are most often credited with Booker’s pledge, but there’s at least some record of Payne working the phones and talking with the former four-star prospect as well. Whatever the case, Booker himself has credited Payne for helping develop his game over the years. Booker chose UK over Florida, Missouri, Michigan and Michigan State and went on to become the 13th pick in the 2015 NBA Draft,
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RANKING: No. 14 in 2017
RECRUITMENT: A five-star prospect out of Victory Prep in Houston, Vanderbilt was a McDonald's All-American and held offers from multiple blueblood programs as well as in-state powerhouses. It was Payne and UK that won out in the end, however, as the then-Wildcat assistant’s relationship with the forward helped the Wildcats gain an edge down the stretch. Vanderbilt was one of many active NBA players that applauded the Knicks’ hire of Payne when he was tabbed as an assistant by New York back in 2020. Vanderbilt was limited by injuries during his one season at Kentucky, but he still managed to be selected in the second round of the 2018 NBA Draft. He remains in the league and plays significant minutes for the Minnesota Timberwolves.
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RANKING: No. 36 in 2018
RECRUITMENT: Similar to his relationship with Monk, Payne's bond with Herro has endured. The Kentucky star turned Miami Heat standout mentioned his former coach as a mentor and talent developer long after their time together in Lexington. Back in late 2017, however, Payne was a Kentucky assistant pursuing a high school-aged Herro, who was turning heads with his scoring ability and seriously considering Arizona, Kansas and Oregon after backing off his initial commitment to in-state Wisconsin. There’s plenty to be said for Payne’s ability to hold off a couple of other blueblood programs and snatch Herro away from an in-state power in the upper Midwest. Herro played just one season for the Wildcats, starting every game and averaging 14 points per contest. He was selected by the Miami heat with the 13th pick of the 2019 NBA Draft.
