Following an illustrious prep career as a bigger built 6-foot-5 215-pound guard at Harmony Community HS, Zach Payton wound up authoring a circuitous journey throughout the professional ranks.
Payton would prolong his career overseas in a variety of different countries.
Payton ultimately culminated it in his home state of Indiana.
As a go-to scoring option and facilitating guard for the Indiana Fury, Payton averaged a League-best 36 points, 12 rebounds, and 8.8 assists en route to 2016 Player of the Year honors in the Midwest Basketball League.
“Coach ZP” as he’s known, has quickly transitioned from retirement to the coaching ranks.
Payton comes on board at Central Pointe Christian Post Graduate Academy after helping spearhead NTSI Orlando to a first ever state championship in Florida during the 2020-21 campaign.
Payton’s responsibilities include orchestrating practice, Xs and Os, film breakdown, scouting, and player development.
Given his status as a former professional and a heady point guard with natural court sense and high level experience, Payton provides a coaching presence the program’s myriad student-athletes feed off of.
Payton’s professional career spanned nearly a decade and included stops in China, Dominican Republic, Chile, Nicaragua, and Mexico. Payton produced during a veritable contract year while in China, as he averaged 22 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists.
Payton garnered a national ranking in the top-10, when the heavily recruited guard averaged 14 points, 8.5 boards, and 8.5 assists while at legendary and now-defunct Laurinburg Prep in North Carolina. Laurinburg ascended the national prep mountaintops during Payton’s stay there, albeit the school eventually shut its doors in the aftermath of NCAA allegations.
Payton, who kick started his high school career as a triple double threat while at Harding HS in his hometown of Fort Wayne, Ind., would culminate his career at Harmony Prep (Oh).
