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Pharrel Payne reportedly enters transfer portal following Buzz Williams’s departure
By Paul Harvey
Published:
Texas A&M lost head coach Buzz Williams on Tuesday, and star big man Pharrel Payne is also looking to leave the program, according to various reports.
On Wednesday, Joe Tipton with On3 Sports reported that Payne was re-entering the transfer portal after spending one season with the Aggies. Payne originally came to Texas A&M to play for Williams after beginning his career with 2 seasons at Minnesota.
Tipton also reported Payne’s designation in the portal is “do not contact,” a sign he has his next destination in mind already. Could a reunion with Williams at Maryland be in the works for Payne?
Coming out of high school, Payne was a 3-star prospect in the 2022 recruiting class out of Minnesota. He picked the in-state Golden Gophers and began his ascension as a sophomore last season.
This season, Payne was an instrumental force for A&M on the interior, finishing as the 3rd-leadings scorer for the Aggies at 10.4 points per game. Payne also averaged 5.1 rebounds and 1.1 blocks while shooting 64.6% from the floor.
Players hitting the portal is commonplace these days, and it’s only more commonplace with ongoing coaching changes. However, Payne’s leaving A&M opens a key piece to be replaced for whoever leads the Aggies moving forward.
Paul Harvey lives in Atlanta and covers SEC football.
