Head Coach Brad Underwood announced Wednesday that Omar Payne has signed a Big Ten Tender of Financial Aid with the University of Illinois and is joining the Fighting Illini program as a transfer.
Payne is a 6-foot-10, 230-pound forward with a 7-foot-5.5 wingspan who played at Florida the last two years. He appeared in 24 games with eight starts this past season as a sophomore, averaging 3.8 points and 3.2 rebounds. He shot 75% from the field (39-52) to lead the Gators and was second on the team with 29 blocked shots, ranking 10th in the SEC (1.2 bpg).
Payne scored in double figures three times on the season, registering 10 points each versus Boston College (12/3/20), Georgia (1/23/21) and South Carolina (2/3/21). He set his season high in rebounding with nine boards in back-to-back outings vs. No. 6 Tennessee (1/19/21) and Georgia (1/23/21) while also registering a career-high five blocks in the Tennessee game.
Payne played in 30 games with seven starts as a freshman, averaging 3.8 points and 3.6 rebounds and ranking second on the team with 34 blocks. He posted his first double-double against No. 4 Auburn (1/18/20), totaling a career-high 19 points on perfect 9-of-9 shooting along with a career-high 11 boards.
"We are excited to have Omar join our program," Underwood said. "This young man has unlimited potential. He has already established himself as a tremendous defender at this level with his athleticism and length. He is also elite in ball screens and fits our system as a big who will excel in pick-and-roll with the ability to expand his offensive game as well."
Payne was a top-50 recruit in the class of 2019, ranked No. 44 by ESPN and No. 45 by 247Sports Composite.
