Because his grades were too poor, he was very likely not to get an invitation from an NCAA school. When schools came to scout him, they found this guy to be like a vagrant, liking to wear diamond earrings, chewing gum, always shaving letters like $ and other symbols into his hair, with a perpetual crooked mouth putting on a very pretentious look.
But Payton's performance on the court was impeccable, and many schools were interested in him, yet hesitated because of his off-court behavior.
St. John's University had promised him a scholarship but ultimately went back on their word and gave it to another player.
Afterward, Payton still received invites from prestigious schools like North Carolina and Stanford, but in the end, he chose Oregon State.
Ralph Miller, the coach of the Oregon State Beavers, personally called Payton to recruit him and told him, "Ah Gan recommended you to me, he said this kid from Oakland plays well."
