Pirate Preview: Stephon Payne

Published: Monday, October 6, 2025

by Matthew Nazario

Seton Hall secured a gem via the transfer portal with forward Stephon Payne, a senior from Jacksonville University, who is coming off an impressive 2024-2025 season.

A highly touted prospect, Payne gained significant interest within the transfer portal from Indiana, Louisville, Virginia Tech and Oklahoma before landing in South Orange to play for the Seton Hall Pirates. With his versatility to play efficiently on both ends of the court, Payne is quite the interesting X-factor for the Pirates heading into the 2025-2026 season. 

With five double-doubles in his junior year, Payne displayed the tools to contribute in various ways throughout the season. In his final season as a Jacksonville Dolphin, Payne averaged 8.4 points and 6.3 rebounds per game off of an incredibly efficient 53.2% from the field. Payne’s efficiency is his strong suit, with his ability to find high-percentage shots being invaluable.

Payne looks to build off of his junior year where he set multiple career-highs in impressive fashion, including 13 rebounds against Mercer as well as 20 points against Bellarmine. He has great scoring ability despite not having attempted a single three-point shot in his collegiate career.

Being able to score at a high mark, particularly in the paint and from mid-range can make Payne an excellent rim-runner or post scoring option for Seton Hall.

Looking towards the 2025-2026 season, Stephon Payne looks to address a longstanding issue for the Pirates. Seeking more depth in terms of post and paint presence, Payne can provide the support the Pirates’ need, alongside Godswill Erheriene to establish more dominant play in the paint.

Moreover, if Payne were to hypothetically come off of the bench, he could serve as a spark for the Pirates, through efficient scoring during bench heavy minutes.

Stephon Payne is a seasoned collegiate veteran with tremendous amounts of upside, and Seton Hall will hope to receive solid production from him during his senior year.  Payne will debut for the Pirates on November 3rd, when Seton Hall hosts Saint Peter’s in the season opener.

Matthew Nazario can be reached at matthew.nazario@student.shu.edu.

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