Schaumburg's Payne commits to Iowa

Cully Payne is hoping there are no more sudden twists or strange turns in a college basketball recruiting journey which began four years ago.

On Thursday night, the Schaumburg senior guard gave a verbal commitment to Iowa coach Todd Lickliter. Payne plans to make it official Wednesday, the first day of the basketball signing period for letters of intent.

"I'm happy," Payne said with a touch of relief in his voice. "It's a happy day at the Payne house."

Because Payne's intent was never to start stockpiling gear from various schools around the country. But some odd things happened on the way to Iowa City for the 6-foot-1 guard, who was the Cook County honorary captain of the 2008-09 Daily Herald Boys Basketball All-Area team.

"Hopefully," Payne said with a laugh of the third college choice being the charm. "I'm committed, I'm excited and I want to be a Hawkeye."

And Lickliter and assistant coach Chad Walthall, who visited Schaumburg High School and coach Bob Williams during the day Thursday, filled an immediate need with the multi-talented 6-foot-1 guard. Payne averaged 22 points and 5.5 assists before suffering a season-ending back injury after 16 games.

Four players have left the Hawkeyes' program in recent weeks after 13-19 and 15-17 finishes in Lickliter's first two seasons. Only six scholarship players are returning from this season.

"It's definitely a big kind of reliever that I could come in right away and make an impact," said Payne, who made an official visit to Iowa City last week. "Right now they have no guards."

Payne was also impressed with Lickliter, who had a successful tenure at Butler before coming to Iowa.

"He's real caring," Payne said. "He wants me to be the best basketball player I can be.

"At the same time, he wants me to be the best person I can be, which is important to me. I'm super-excited to play for him."

Thus ends a roller-coaster ride Payne wouldn't be in such a rush to get on if he could do it over again. He committed to DePaul before he played his first high school game at Burlington Central.

But few kids that age are prepared for that type of long-term commitment. Payne de-committed from the Blue Demons before his senior year.

"One thing I would say is don't commit early," Payne said. "Don't commit in eighth grade or your freshman year."

Payne thought he found a home at Alabama and signed a letter of intent in November. Then coach Mark Gottfried was forced out in January as Payne was battling with the emotional and physical pain from his injured back.

Now Payne said he is 100 percent healthy and ready to help Iowa return to the upper echelon of the Big Ten.

"More people came up to me and said, 'Go to Iowa, go to Iowa, it's a great place,'" Payne said.

A place Cully Payne can finally call his college home.

mmaciaszek@dailyherald.com