{{Short description|American basketball player (born 1998)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2023}} {{Infobox basketball biography | name = Payton Willis | image = Payton Willis Frankie Collins.jpg | image_size = 300px | caption = Payton Willis (left) in maroon Minnesota jersey, on defense | number = 2 | position = Guard | height_ft = 6 | height_in = 4 | weight_lbs = 200 | league = LBA | team = Vanoli Cremona | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1998|1|31}} | birth_place = Fayetteville, Arkansas, U.S. | high_school = Fayetteville<br>(Fayetteville, Arkansas) | college = * Vanderbilt (2016–2018) * Minnesota (2019–2020) * College of Charleston (2020–2021) * Minnesota (2021–2022) | draft_year = 2022 | career_start = 2022 | career_end = | years1 = 2022–2023 | team1 = Hapoel Gilboa Galil | years2 = 2023–2024 | team2 = Pistoia 2000 | years3 = 2024 | team3 = Tenerife | years4 = 2024–present | team4 = Vanoli Cremona | highlights = *All-LBA Team (2024) }} '''Payton Terrell Willis''' (born January 31, 1998) is an American basketball player for Vanoli Cremona of the Italian Lega Basket Serie A (LBA). He played college basketball for the Vanderbilt Commodores, the Minnesota Golden Gophers of the Big Ten Conference, and the College of Charleston Cougars.
==Early life== He is the son of Curtis Willis and Christy Duggar, and his hometown is Fayetteville, Arkansas.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://vucommodores.com/roster/payton-willis/|title=Payton Willis|date=May 4, 2019|website=Vanderbilt University Athletics}}</ref><ref name="auto5">{{Cite web|url=https://mndaily.com/273219/sports/payton-willis-signs-with-hapoel-gilboa-galil/|work=The Minnesota Daily|title=Payton Willis signs with Hapoel Gilboa Galil; The Israeli League team signed Willis after he played in the NBA Summer League with the Golden State Warriors.|date=July 29, 2022|first=Rogan|last=Isbell}}</ref><ref name="auto2">{{Cite web|url=https://gophersports.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/payton-willis/14613|title=Payton Willis - Men's Basketball|website=University of Minnesota Athletics}}</ref><ref name="auto3">[https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/payton-willis-1.html "Payton Willis,"] sports-reference.</ref> He is {{convert|6|ft|4|in|cm}} tall, and weighs {{convert|200|lb|kg}}.<ref name="auto3"/>
Willis attended Fayetteville High School.<ref name="auto3"/><ref name="auto6">{{Cite web|url=https://www.eurobasket.com/index.aspx|title=Payton Willis Player Profile, Hapoel Gilboa Galil|website=Eurobasket}}</ref> In his sophomore season, he was named all-conference and all-state.<ref name="auto2"/> In his junior season, he averaged 15.9 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 44.7% from three-point range.<ref name="auto2"/> He was again named all-conference and all-state.<ref name="auto2"/>
==College career== In college, Willis played basketball for the Vanderbilt Commodores, the Minnesota Golden Gophers of the Big Ten Conference, and the College of Charleston Cougars.<ref name="auto3"/>
He played for Vanderbilt in 2016–18.<ref name="auto3"/> Willis averaged 5.1 points per game.<ref name="auto3"/> He sat out 2018–19 in accordance with NCAA transfer rules.<ref name="auto5"/><ref name="auto3"/>
Willis played for Minnesota in 2019–20.<ref name="auto3"/><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thedailygopher.com/2021/10/29/22748970/minnesota-basketball-player-previews-payton-willis-golden-gophers|title=Minnesota Basketball Player Previews: Payton Willis|date=October 29, 2021|website=The Daily Gopher}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://kstp.com/minnesota-sports/gophers-mens-basketball-loses-starting-guard-payton-willis-gains-western-michigan-transfer/|title=Gophers men's basketball loses starting guard Payton Willis, gains Western Michigan transfer|first=Charlie|last=Wiese|date=April 9, 2020|website=KSTP Eyewitness News}}</ref> He averaged 11.8 points per game.<ref name="auto3"/> The COVID-19 pandemic ended the team's season early.<ref name="auto5"/>
He played for Charleston as a graduate transfer in 2020–21, where Willis was a hospitality and tourism management major, and was Preseason All-Colonial Athletic Association Honorable Mention.<ref name="auto1">{{Cite web|url=https://cofcsports.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/payton-willis/4637|title=Payton Willis - Men's Basketball|website=College of Charleston Athletics}}</ref><ref name="auto2"/><ref name="auto3"/> He started every game and averaged 15.9 points per game, 3.1 assists per game (9th in the Colonial Athletic Association), and 1.4 steals per game (5th), shot 40% from 3-point range, and was team co-captain.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.fox9.com/sports/eric-curry-payton-willis-back-for-one-final-ride-with-gophers-basketball|title=Eric Curry, Payton Willis back for one final ride with Gophers basketball|author=Jeff Wald|date=October 28, 2021|website=FOX 9}}</ref><ref name="auto3"/><ref name="auto1"/><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-golden-gophers-mens-basketball-payton-willis-minnesota-college-basketball-mens-college-basketball-e757b865b82fe2ad8bd54bd8c35909c6|title=Guard Payton Willis transfers to Minnesota for 2nd time|date=May 13, 2021|website=AP News}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ballysports.com/north/news/payton-willis-excelling-back-in-minnesota-gophers|title=Payton Willis excelling back in Minnesota|website=Bally Sports|date= February 10, 2022}}</ref>
Willis played for Minnesota again in 2021–22, as he was allowed to play a fifth season - along with other athletes - given that the pandemic had shortened his earlier seasons, and shifted from shooting guard to point guard.<ref name="auto6"/><ref name="auto5"/><ref name="auto3"/><ref name="auto4">{{Cite web|url=https://www.startribune.com/gophers-seniors-eric-curry-payton-willis-last-place-no-regrets/600154803/|title=No regrets for Gophers seniors Eric Curry and Payton Willis after returning to help rebuild|author=Marcus Fuller|date=March 11, 2022 |website=Star Tribune}}</ref> He was team captain and averaged 17.5 points per game and 4.3 assists per game (8th in the Big Ten), while leading the Big Ten in 3-point percentage (.428; the sixth best in team history).<ref name="auto4"/><ref name="auto5"/><ref name="auto3"/> In 2022 he was Asheville Championship MVP, All-Big Ten Honorable Mention (Coaches), and All-Big Ten Honorable Mention (Media).<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://basketball.realgm.com/player/Payton-Willis/Summary/107346|title=Payton Willis Player Profile, Minnesota|website= RealGM}}</ref><ref name="auto2"/>
==Professional career== In July 2022 he joined the Golden State Warriors for NBA Summer League.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.twincities.com/2022/06/25/gophers-grad-payton-willis-signs-with-golden-state/|title=Gophers grad Payton Willis signs with Golden State|date=June 25, 2022|work=TwinCities Pioneer Press}}</ref><ref name="auto5"/>
Willis plays in 2022 for Hapoel Gilboa Galil in the Israeli Basketball Premier League, Israel's highest level basketball league, having signed a contract with the team in July 2022.<ref name="auto5"/><ref name="auto"/><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://sports.walla.co.il/item/3519073|title=חיזוק זר ראשון: פייטון וויליס חתם בגלבוע/גליל|date=July 18, 2022|work=Walla}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://sports.walla.co.il/item/3519073|title=חיזוק זר ראשון: פייטון וויליס חתם בגלבוע/גליל - וואלה! ספורט|date=July 18, 2022|author=אור שקדי|website=וואלה!}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.israelhayom.co.il/sport/israeli-basketball/article/12323774|title=גלבוע גליל: זר ראשון לרמי הדר, פייטון וויליס חתם בקבוצה | ישראל היום|website=Israel HaYom|date=July 18, 2021|author=יעקב מאיר}}</ref>
On July 14, 2023, he signed with Pistoia Basket 2000 of the Lega Basket Serie A (LBA).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pistoiabasket2000.com/home/il-pistoia-basket-ingaggia-la-guardia-payton-willis/|title=Payton Willis è un giocatore del Pistoia Basket|last=|first=|date=July 14, 2023|website=pistoiabasket2000.com|publisher=|language=it|access-date=July 28, 2023}}</ref>
On July 8, 2024, he signed with La Laguna Tenerife of the Spanish Liga ACB.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://sportando.basketball/en/payton-willis-joins-tenerife/|title=Payton Willis joins Tenerife|last=|first=|date=July 8, 2024|website=|publisher=Sportando|language=En|access-date=July 8, 2024}}</ref> On November 4, 2024, he left the team. In four games, he averaged 5.8 points per game.<ref>{{cite web |title=Willis leaves Tenerife |url=https://www.eurobasket.com/Spain/news/899862/Willis-leaves-Tenerife |website=www.eurobasket.com |access-date=4 November 2024}}</ref>
On November 5, 2024, he signed with Vanoli Cremona of the Italian Lega Basket Serie A (LBA).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vanolibasket.it/2024/11/season-24-25-payton-willis/|title=Season 24/25: Payton Willis|last=|first=|date=November 5, 2024|website=vanolibasket.it|publisher=|language=it|access-date=April 4, 2025}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *[https://cofcsports.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/payton-willis/4637 College of Charleston Cougars bio] *[https://gophersports.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/payton-willis/14613 Minnesota Golden Gophers bio] *[https://vucommodores.com/roster/payton-willis/ Vanderbilt Commodores bio]
{{Vanoli Cremona current roster}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Willis, Payton}} Category:1998 births Category:Living people Category:21st-century African-American sportsmen Category:21st-century American sportsmen Category:American expatriate basketball people in Israel Category:American expatriate basketball people in Italy Category:American men's basketball players Category:Basketball players from Arkansas Category:CB Canarias players Category:Charleston Cougars men's basketball players Category:Guards (basketball) Category:Hapoel Gilboa Galil players Category:Israeli Basketball Premier League players Category:Minnesota Golden Gophers men's basketball players Category:Sportspeople from Fayetteville, Arkansas Category:Vanderbilt Commodores men's basketball players Category:Vanoli Cremona players