Campus News

Geoff Payne is Named NAIA National Player of the Year

March 25, 2009

SALT LAKE CITY – Westminster senior forward Geoff Payne has been named the NAIA Division I Men’s Basketball Player of the Year and the National Basketball Coaches Association Player of the Year. Payne becomes the first Westminster player to receive either award. He was also named to the 2008-09 Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I Men’s Basketball All-Tournament Team.

Payne finished the year as the 11th-best scorer in the NAIA with his 20.7 points per game average. He was third in the country in field goal percentage, shooting 65.2% from the field. He also ranked 46th in the country in rebounds with his 7.5 per game. His 725 points scored this season is the second best single-season total in school history and the 263 rebounds are the most in one season for any Griffin.

Westminster finished the year at 30-5 overall and advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2008-09 Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I Men’s Basketball Championships for the first time in school history. They won both the Frontier Conference regular season and tournament championships.

Westminster is a nationally recognized, comprehensive liberal arts college. With a broad array of graduate and undergraduate programs, Westminster is distinguished by its unique environment for learning. Westminster prepares students for success through active and engaged learning, real world experiences and its vibrant campus community. Westminster’s unique location, adjacent to the Rocky Mountains and to the dynamic city of Salt Lake, further enriches the college experience. For more information, visit www.westminstercollege.edu.