Payton Kamin had, essentially, done everything in his power to earn what he deserved.
The 6-foot-7 guard had overcome bad injury luck to play in every game this winter. He pushed through adversity to help Worcester Academy capture the NEPSAC Class AA championship, finishing the season as the team’s leading scorer and one of the region’s best performers.
But as the season concluded in early March, a combination of stress, confusion and uncertainty lingered. Kamin was still uncommitted to a college. He looked around and his teammates and most of the 2025 class were committed, their future secured. He knew he was good enough to be a Division 1 player, but coaches weren’t biting. Like many high school prospects around the country, they told them they had to wait on the NCAA transfer portal.
Ultimately, Kamin was rewarded for his patience. On May 24, he announced his commitment to Penn, a dream realized at an Ivy League school that balances basketball with high academics. But like many others, a product of the era he’s playing in, he had to wait longer than most to get there.
