The emergence of Fred Payne and his impact for Boston College

Entering the 2025-26 season, many viewed Donald Hand Jr as the focal point for the Boston College Men’s Basketball team. It’s largely justified, as Hand Jr broke out last season by upping his points per game totals by 10 (5.0 to 15.7) and served as the premier offensive threat for the Eagles last season. It’s no secret BC was going to struggle in the tough ACC this year, but with Hand Jr leading the way, stealing wins wasn’t totally out of the question. This season hasn’t gone exactly to plan for Hand Jr individually, as his scoring has dipped a bit along with inefficiency from an offensive standpoint. Some of it was expected with teams possessing more tape in order to gameplan around him. 

In comes Fred Payne. 

Primarily used as a backup in his first two seasons, Payne’s impact for Boston College this year is something to highlight. Not only has he doubled his scoring and then some (6.9 last year to 15.1 this year), he’s showing the Eagles opponents that he’s a force to be reckoned with. Payne continues to step up in games offensively when Hand Jr and others struggle. He’s providing the team with more versatility on offense with his stellar play both as a scorer and playmaker.

Payne’s scoring is impressive, but his overall playmaking is what’s allowing BC to stay in these games. There are countless occasions in which he’s drilling big shots or making clutch plays, especially in late game showdowns. One one specific occasion vs Pitt, rather than shoot a contested layup versus two defenders he found Boden Kapke open on a game winning corner 3 pointer. For the season he’s averaging 15.1 points on 42% shooting and 35% from three. While the numbers aren’t exactly eye popping (compared to the star level talent in the ACC) he’s given the team a spark they’ve desperately needed. 

Notable Games vs ACC

Perhaps his most memorable game comes from the 81-73 win versus Syracuse on Jan. 17 in which he scored 26 points, drilled four 3’s, dished out 6 assists and grabbed 3 steals. Against NC State on Jan. 6, he scored 24 points on 53% shooting and added three made 3 pointers. In ACC games he’s scoring 17.8 points per game on 43% shooting and 36% from deep. In five of the Eagles nine ACC games, he’s shot at least 50% from the floor – his ability to show up strongly in these conference games is certainly worth noting. 

Despite it being another disappointing season in Chestnut Hill, Payne’s emergence is one of the lone bright spots for BC at this point in the season. Here’s to hoping Payne is ready to continue his upped level of play with more ACC games on the horizon.