Basketball: Willis commits to Vanderbilt

Payton Willis of Fayetteville has verbally committed to play basketball at Vanderbilt. Willis helped Fayetteville advance to the Class 7A state semifinals last season.
Payton Willis of Fayetteville has verbally committed to play basketball at Vanderbilt. Willis helped Fayetteville advance to the Class 7A state semifinals last season.

FAYETTEVILLE -- Payton Willis didn't need long to lock in his college decision once the right school locked in on him.

Willis, a 6-foot-4 senior guard at Fayetteville, attracted plenty of attention from various college programs during his summer games with the Arkansas Wings Elite. His final tournament of the summer with the Wings caught the eye of Vanderbilt, and an invitation to visit Nashville, Tenn., soon followed.

Willis, who was offered a scholarship by the Commodores, said he immediately loved what he saw and wasted little time saying yes to the offer. On Wednesday, Willis committed to the Southeastern Conference school soon after returning from his visit to the campus.

"I could just feel in my gut it was the right place for me," Willis said. "Coach (Kevin) Stallings and his staff and his style of play were the right fit, and I loved the campus and the town.

"I just knew it was right for me."

Willis also had offers from Dayton, Minnesota, Rice, Tulsa, Western Kentucky and Lehigh and was receiving interest from Arkansas. But he sat back in the recruiting process until the offer came from the Commodores.

"They told me I fit perfectly in their style," Willis said. "Being in the (SEC), that's a big accomplishment for me."

Willis carries a 3.7 grade point average and scored a 26 in his first attempt on the ACT. Fayetteville coach Kyle Adams said the strong academics offered at Vanderbilt is another reason why the school is such an ideal situation for Willis.

"I think that was the tipping point," Adams said. "Payton is such a good kid, and I think the great academics at Vanderbilt was what put it over the top."

Willis said, with his commitment out of the way, there's now one clear goal on his plate.

"Now I can focus on bringing a state championship to Fayetteville," Willis said. "That's what I've wanted all along."

Willis was a key player for the Bulldogs last season and led them to the Class 7A state semifinals before losing a one-point game to eventual state champion North Little Rock.

Sports on 08/06/2015

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