Payton Pritchard is one of the underrated players on the Boston Celtics roster. Ever since setting foot into the league, he’s proven himself to be a lethal weapon coming off the bench. Even though he is yet to have a breakout season, he can easily pass off as an outstanding rotational player. Over the last three seasons, he has averaged 6.6 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in 15.7 minutes per game.
In 2019, the point guard declared for the NBA Draft but withdrew from it after deciding that he wanted to compete in college for another year. The 25-year-old was later drafted by the Celtics during the 2020 NBA Draft, after graduation. He was the 26th selection from the first round of the draft and he made his presence known right off the bat.
Despite being only three years into his professional career, Pritchard was able to get a taste of the post-season experience. Given the opportunity, Payton will most likely excel in a higher role considering how well he played in college.
Payton Pritchard played for the University of Oregon
Payton Pritchard attended the University of Oregon. He played for the school’s team which is famously known as the Oregon Fighting Ducks. The athlete was a lethal scorer who had a great ability to play-make and contribute on defense. Pritchard was also well-known for his shooting abilities. For instance, the time he shot a deep three-pointer against Lonzo Ball against UCLA in 2016. And also the 30-footer that snagged a victory against Washington in 2020.
Payton Pritchard is the most clutch player in college basketball. From way the fuck down town, again!
pic.twitter.com/flLsmvToG1— Nick Put🐢 (@_ChickenJoe_) January 18, 2020
As a freshman, Payton helped Oregon make its first final-four appearance since the start of the NCAA tournament. He averaged only 7.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game being the only freshman to start in the bracket that year. However, his 14.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game sophomore season marked a turning point in his career. He became a regular starter for the Ducks that season.
During his third season in Oregon, he had a slow start but eventually led the Ducks to a PAC-12 title and the Sweet Sixteen NCAA bracket. He averaged 12.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game. Payton Pritchard dominated during his final season averaging an impressive 20.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game. He became Oregon’s all-time assists leader as well.
He was rewarded with the Bob Cousy Award for being the best player in the US. Payton Pritchard played four seasons in college earning himself a Consensus first-team All-American selection, PAC-12 Player of the Year title, and First-team All-PAC-12 in 2020. He also was named Second-team All-PAC-12 (2018) and PAC-12 Tournament MOP (2019).
Ultimately, he concluded his college journey as the first PAC-12 player to have 1900 points with 500+ career rebounds, and assists. He graduated from the University of Oregon in 2020.
