3. Zero To Hero
Cam didn’t receive much attention at his small private high school. Just a three-star recruit with no top-100 ranking or McDonald’s All-American game to gain notoriety. But some good fortune brought him exposure as a freshman at Murray State. His new Bulls teammate Isaiah Canaan had just left Murray to enter the 2013 NBA draft. Zay Jackson was in place as Canaan’s successor, but he tore his ACL before the 2013-14 season started. T.J. Sapp of Clemson was on his way to Murray in a transfer but not yet eligible to play.
Just like that, Cameron was thrown into the starting point guard job as a freshman. He excelled, winning Ohio Valley Conference Freshman of the Year. As a sophomore, he averaged 20.2 points, 6 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 1.9 steals to earn OVC Player of the Year honors. With that nationwide attention, Payne decided to enter the draft. He knew it would be tough to compete with the buzz of Division I players, but Cam believed NBA teams would look past his mid-major status and see the potential of his talents.
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