Former Park High star Pharrel Payne and University of Minnesota sophomore center will enter the NCAA transfer portal it was announced Thursday.
The 6-9 Payne joins four other University of Minnesota players to depart, joining forward Josh-Ola-Joseph, backup guard Braeden Carrington and reserve forward Isaiah Ihnen.,
Payne played in 32 games for the Gophers this season, averaging 10 points, 6.1 rebounds and a team-leading 1.4 blocks in 31 games. He joined the starting lineup midseason and started 19 games.
Minnesota finished the season 19-015, including 9-11 in the Big 10, and lost to Michigan State in the first round of the Big 10 tournament. Minnesota defeated Butler in the first round of the National Invitational Tournament before losing to Indiana State.
Payne was originally a three-star prospect in the 2022 recruiting cycle, choosing the Gophers over Appalachian State, Drake, Loyola (IL), Saint Louis and UC-Santa Barbara.
With Payne's departure, the Golden Gophers will be replacing much of their front court with now four players departing.
