Payton Pritchard’s Take on NBA vs. College Hoops Goes Viral After Epic 40-Point Game!

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By: Mike

Once a standout star at Oregon in 2020, Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard was well-known for his scoring prowess during a season that promised a promising NCAA men’s tournament run, which was ultimately derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

While not every college basketball star manages to transfer their scoring abilities to the professional stage in North America, those who do often share valuable insights on the differences between the collegiate and professional games.

This past Wednesday, Pritchard scored an impressive 43 points for the Celtics in a 128–118 victory against the Portland Trail Blazers. This performance brought attention back to a January episode of The Young Man and the Three podcast, where Pritchard and his teammate Derrick White discussed the nuances of scoring in college compared to the NBA.

“Offensively, scoring in the NBA seems easier than in college,” Pritchard remarked, with White—who notched 41 points in the same Wednesday game—agreeing. “College play feels more akin to European basketball. The game is tougher there partly because defenders can stay in the lane longer, often with a big man planted there, reducing space and shooting opportunities.”

Pritchard’s highest scoring game in college was a 38-point effort in a closely contested overtime game against Arizona in February 2020. Now, he has surpassed that personal best at the professional level, a feat he can certainly be proud of.


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