Prospect Spotlight: Harley Paynter (2021)

Boyd County had a great 2018-19 season and rising Junior Harley Paynter intends to get her team back to Rupp Arena despite the loss of Miss Basketball Savannah Wheeler. Harley is ready to step up and start making her case to be one of the top players in Kentucky. Paynter told me that her favorite types of games are very physical and played at a fast pace, "I’d describe my game as a very aggressive defender and a really good shooter. I can shoot the three well but I’ve also been working on my jumper and it’s getting pretty good. I finish at the rim well and love contact. I can find the open player and get the ball to where it needs to go." The 5'7 guard has a great feel for the strengths and weaknesses in her game, "My strengths as a player are that I’m very fast, I’m a great defender, and I can shoot. I rebound the ball very well for a guard and I have a high basketball IQ and make great passes." She continued, "I'd like to work on getting more steals per game but I feel like I have improved in that area this summer." Coming off of a Sophomore season where she was one of the best secondary scorers in the state, Harley reflected on the 2018-19 campaign that ended at Rupp Arena, "Our high school season this year was incredible. We played a difficult schedule and won against some of the best teams in Kentucky. I played along side Kentucky Miss Basketball, Savannah Wheeler and learned a lot from her on and off the court. She is an awesome player and a great person who lead our team to a very successful year." Harley is also getting ready for a big 2019-2020 season, "2021 guard Bailey Rucker was a huge part of our winning season and I look forward to being back on the court with her very soon. Our coach, Pete Fraley, is one of the very best coaches I’ve played for and he has been the reason that Boyd County has been so successful. Leading into her Junior season, Paynter has already seen multiple college offers come her way. She told me, "I have official offers from Murray State University, Western Kentucky University, Georgetown College, and Pikeville. Colleges Who have shown a lot of interest are Eastern Kentucky University, Samford, UAB,  Wright State, Furman, Western Carolina, and Rutgers. I have visited Marshall University, Northern Kentucky, Dayton, Morehead State University, The University of Kentucky, Murray State, and Western Kentucky. Harley has spent the latter part of her AAU season playing up a grade level against 17u competition, "I played the first half of the AAU season with Kentucky Premier 16u EYBL and am finishing up the summer with Sky Diggs 17u on the UAA circuit. Both organizations have been great to me and it’s been a wonderful summer." With her recruiting rolling full steam ahead and a big Junior season on the horizon, Harley is focused on being the best player she can be individually and continuing to lead her Boyd County team to the success they have become accustomed to in recent years, "My goals for the upcoming season are to be a great leader for our team. I hope to get more rebounds and steals per game and have a really high free throw percentage. The ultimate goal is to help lead our team to another winning record, win another district championship, win the regional championship and capture the state title.