Boston College transfer Fred Payne commits to Oregon Ducks

At long last, Dana Altman has found his point guard.

Boston College transfer guard Fred Payne announced his commitment to the Oregon Ducks on Wednesday morning, finally settling Oregon's vacant position in the backcourt since Jackson Shelstad departed. Altman had missed on transfers Preston Edmead and Colby Garland, but now he has another dependable scorer and distributor with Payne.

Payne is a three-star transfer, per 247 Sports, and was the top scorer for the Golden Eagles last season, averaging 15.8 points with 4.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game. After three seasons out east, he will come to Eugene as a redshirt junior and potentially be a key piece of the Ducks' rotation for the next two seasons.

Last season was Payne's first as a starter. He started 30 games and played 34.7 minutes per game. He connected on 39.9% of his shots from the field and just 31.1% from range. Those numbers might be deceiving, however, given the volume of shots Payne was taking. After the Ducks added transfers like Tyrone Riley IV, Jasper Johnson and Andrew Meadow, in addition to the return of Sean Stewart, Payne won't be asked to shoulder the scoring load in Eugene.

The 6-foot-1 guard is great at attacking downhill and creating his own offense, so the size that the Ducks have added this offseason should pair well with their new point guard. Oregon has addressed the perimeter in the portal, but Altman needed a point guard he could rely on to organize the team on the floor, and Payne might be perfect for that role with the ball in his hands.