Q/A: Payton Willis

Payton Willis is back and ready to make an impact in the Big Ten. Willis is in his second stint with the Golden Gophers after playing with the team in the 2019-20 season. After playing at College of Charleston last year, Willis announced he was returning to Minnesota for his final year of eligibility. With his connection to head coach Ben Johnson and his best friend Eric Curry, returning to Minnesota was an opportunity he couldn't refuse. Leading a team full of transfers, the Gophers are now 7-0, due in large part to Willis. Through seven games played, Willis ranks second on the team in points per game (17.4), minutes played (36.1) and first in assists (27). Get to know Willis in this recent Q/A. (This article ran in the Michigan State game program -12/8/21).

You're back at Minnesota and it's great to have you return and a nice start for the team.
It's been a great start for us. The team has been great as far as chemistry on and off the court. Playing for Ben Johnson has been really special. It's been everything I expected so far.

How did it come about that you rejoined the team?
I was looking towards playing professionally after last year. I threw my name in the transfer portal just to see what could happen, but most likely was thinking I'd still go and play professionally. Then I got the call from Ben Johnson, who I already had a relationship with since high school. I had to jump on the opportunity and what a better way to end it than here at Minnesota.

The team has been off to a great start, but you personally as well. What's the key to this team and 10 new players and the quick come together?
Coach Johnson and his staff did a great job of recruiting the right guys that were in the transfer portal. We don't have any egos on the team and we all want to come together to win. We don't really care who scores the most points in one game, we know that we have a lot of guys that can score. We all have chips on our shoulders and we'll do what we can to win.

There's been some times this season where teams make a run late but this team handled the situation. How can early success be a key to the season's success?
It was a concern with the team a couple years ago when I was first here where we couldn't handle teams that made a run at us late. Every game, every win is crucial so just the team responding to those runs teams go on can help us in the future.

What has changed most about your game since the last time you were at Minnesota?
For one, I'm healthy. I think that was the biggest thing for sure, I was out there on a limp ankle the last time I was here. I've focused more on my ball handling skills and one-on-one defense. Those are two things that I think I've improved on over time.

You're playing a lot as a point guard. How do you like being that floor general?
I like that role, it's part of the big reason why I came back and took this opportunity to play this final season. It's great being the floor leader, it's just an extension of Coach Johnson on the court and I feel like my experience over the years has prepared me for that.

You didn't get a chance to go to the NCAA Tournament the first time you were here, does that fuel you this time around?
I something I think about every day. We have nine or 10 seniors on our team and most haven't experienced what it's like to go to the NCAA Tournament. I've had that experience and I want to have that feeling again. I wake up every day wanting to get back there.

You played with Eric Curry in high school and finally able to play with each other this time around. How much of a role did that factor into when making your decision that he was still going to be here, first as a grad assistant coach and now as a player?
We're having a lot of fun. The first game, when he was tipping the ball against UMKC, I thought to myself 'this is insane.' I can't believe I was really out there with him. I appreciate him for taking this chance, joining the team and playing one last final season. We're just having a lot of fun out there.

You're one of the more experienced players on this team, how do you use that personally through your various collegiate stops?
I take bits and pieces of every one of my experiences and even players that I've played with too. Dupree McBrayer, Amir Coffey, Jordan Murphy, are guys that I want to embody their leadership. Obviously they were all great players and led the team to big wins and NCAA tournament wins as well. I want to be able to stay poised in moments of pressure. I know I'm someone the team looks to during those times and just making sure I'm ready for anything in those situations.

I know some polls and predictions have picked Minnesota to finish last. Does that fuel you?
It definitely fuels us. We knew we weren't going to have any respect going into the season. Regardless of where we were picked, we were going to come in with a chip on our shoulders. We have a lot of guys that haven't played in Power 5 and want to prove themselves. I say it fuels us a bit, but we're going to play every game like it's our last.

What's the life of Payton Willis in terms of academics, video games and basketball?
I'm working on my master's degree right now. I have a degree already from Minnesota. I sacrifice video games during the season so I haven't been playing as many right now. When I do play games, I play with E.C., some friends back home and we've got a few other guys on the team that play like Sean Sutherlin, Jamison Battle, EJ Stephens and Isaiah Ihnen. I think almost everyone plays at bit.

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Payton Willis