When will Michigan State Center Adreian Payne return to action for the #4 Spartans? Probably not Saturday night versus Illinois that’s for sure. MSU Coach Tom Izzo said last night after the 54-40 victory (yes, this game was just as boring and painful to watch as the final score indicates, the Spartans had six airballs and shot 13% from three point range) at Northwestern that Payne will have another x-ray on Friday and that he has no clue when Adreian will return.
Here’s more about Adreian Payne and his current role with the team as he’s convalescing from injury in a walking boot right now. Izzo breaks it all down in the video below.
Izzo also said that the x-ray is more about making nothing else got worse than it is to see what’s wrong.The benchmark will be when Payne is able to walk pain free (pun not intended)
“He’s just gotta get healthy and get guys back to playing their positions. We can be a good team, but we’re not right now,” Izzo added about Adreian Payne.
Payne is considered a top 20 overall NBA Draft prospect, and obviously the longer he’s out the longer it’s hurting his draft stock. Obviously. A preseason first team All-American, Adreian Payne is the Spartans third leading scorer and second leading rebounder. He’s missed two games, last night at the overtime win over Minnesota. Perhaps this is the best time for Adreian Payne to be out as the Spartans will not play another ranked team until Wisconsin on February 9th.
Paul M. Banks is the owner of The Sports Bank.net, an affiliate of Fox Sports. He’s also an analyst for multiple news talk radio stations across the country; with regular weekly segments discussing: Illinois, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Bears and Bulls on NBC and Fox Sports Radio. President Barack Obama follows him on Twitter (@paulmbanks)