SAN DIEGO PREPS PLAYER SPOTLIGHT
Coaches Q & A
Name: Cheyenne Curley-Payne
School: Eastlake High School, Chula Vista, CA
Position: Point Guard
High School Coach: Janet Eleazar
SDPrep: What were your stats from last season?
531 points 18.3 ppg
328 steals 11.3 spg
338 rebounds 11.7 rpg
251 assists 8.9 apg
SDPrep: What is your official height and weight?
CCP: 5’4 - 130lbs
SDPrep: What is your greatest basketball memory?
CCP: Winning CIF Sophomore year (06-07), and breaking the national season
steals record in a year my junior year (07-08) and CIF San Diego Sections Career Record set by Candice Wiggins my junior year (07-08) - 818 steals to date.
SDPrep: What are your goals for the upcoming season?
CCP:
1.Set new National All-time Career Records in Steals currently 925 and the State Career record. I need approximately 100 steals to set a new National Record, not sure what the State record is.
2.Set the CIF San Diego Section All-time Steals & Assist Career Record. I actually set the CIF San Diego Section Career Record last year with 818 steals, but want to add to that number and attempt to get in for an All-time Assist Career Record.
3.Break my National All-time Season steals record of 328 that I set last year and tied the record the in 2007 with 295 steals.
4.Get in National Record Book in for all-time Career Assists. I need approximately 260 assists this year to get in the book.
5.Win League, CIF and go to State.
SDPrep: What aspect of your game have you really worked hard to improve?
CCP: Shooting more outside the arc and jump shot
SDPrep: Who are some of your teammates that people need to watch out for?
CCP: All of them, particularly Diamond Mitchell, Yvonte Neal, Dar Castillo, Unzi Parks and Kayla Rivera-Paraiso
SDPrep: Name one teammate you really respect and why?
CCP: My whole team, they work hard and to be the best they can be and we all respect each other.
SDPrep: Tell us about Coach Eleazar.
CCP: She’s a great coach. She has taught me a lot in the last 4 years I have played with her and she is continues to do so daily. She not only helps me on the court, but off the court too with school, family and things like that. Even though there are times when she goes physco on us for messing up, it’s worth it because it makes us work harder to get better and to be better players.
She has worked really hard to build this team up again. She’s like the team’s second mom and we are all her kids because she’s always puts us first before herself. We love her very much and I’m going to miss her and her coaching when I leave for college.
SDPrep: What were your top 5 college choices?
CCP: I really didn’t have a top 5 but I always liked UCLA because of the campus, the atmosphere and the location. That was the first college I went to see my first college basketball game against USC with Noelle Quinn and Nikki Blue and liked the school. I always wanted to play for a Division I school and because UCLA was Division and I wanted a good academic school, I always thought I would go there, not really taking in consideration all the other Division I schools.
Then Howard became interested and I liked what they were offering and the new coaches on staff, I thought it is a good for me. My oldest sister, LaReina, went there and she loved it and felt it would be a good fit for me too. So maybe we will start a family tradition because now my little sister, Jaida, is saying she wants to go there. So we’ll see, she’s very athletic too.
SDPrep: What college will you be attending?
CCP: Howard University
SDPrep: What are your goals regarding playing college basketball?
My goals as a college player are to play as a freshman and become a starter. As a point guard, I want to be a good team leader and help to build a strong program and help to win a Conference Championship, ultimately leading us to the NCAA Championships and winning.
I would like to set some records as I did in high school and to take my game to a higher level. To become a stronger and wiser player as well as being successful in college basketball and successful as a student.
SDPrep: What were the top 3 reasons in selecting a college?
CCP:
1.Academics and availability of my degree
2.Finding the right fit for me and having a good rapport with the coaches and teammates
3.The impact I would have on the basketball program
SDPrep: Do you know what you will major in at the next level?
CCP: Right now, I’m considering Computer Science as my major with a minor in Sports Management/Therapy (Kinesiology)
SDPrep: Who is the best player you ever played against?
CCP: Don’t Know! I’ve played against some very talented people but I really don’t worry about that or think about whom I’m playing against. I just go out there, play hard and do what I do best, play ball!
SDPrep: Name one opponent who you really respect and why?
CCP: Emily Osga of Patrick Henry because she really surprised us last year in the playoffs. She was really under rated. She’s a great player who hustles and plays aggressively and doesn’t back down. I played with her this past summer with EBO and I really respect her game and her athletic ability.
SDPrep: What Club Basketball team do you play for in the spring and summer?
CCP: This past summer I played with EBO (Elite Basketball Organization) with Marlon Wells and Robbie Sandoval as my coach.
Prior to that, for three or four years, I played with One Shot Deal & San Diego Sol with Lakeysha Wright & Spatticus Harris as my coaches.
SDPrep: How do you think your coach would describe you as a player?
CCP: That I’m a very dedicated, hard working, committed, very experienced and smart player who knows the game very well. I’m very coachable, dependable and a team player who likes to get the whole team involved and unselfish; as well as being humble. Although I’m small in stature, I play big and both ends of the court at all times. I never give up and I’m very competitive
SDPrep: What are your strengths and weaknesses as a player?
CCP: My strengths are my quickness, defense, being a team player, knowledge of the game and my ability to see the whole court.
My weakness’s are not shooting enough, even though I can, I don’t and being unselfish.
SDPrep: Who is your favorite athlete and why?
CCP:Shannon Bobbitt because I like the way she plays and she’s small just like me and it gives me confidence in knowing that if she can make it to WNBA with her size, I can work hard and strive for the same goals. Just as Barack Obama books says, “The Audacity of Hope” and I have my hopes, my goals and my dreams to strive for…
SDPrep: What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?
CCP: “Cheyenne, you better finish school” from my lovely coach…..LOL. Because she just wants to make sure I have the best life.
SDPrep: Tell us what can we expect from your team this season?
CCP: Win Metro, win CIF and play and go to State playoffs and hopefully win…..let’s go all the way baby!!!
SDPrep: What position do you think you will play at the next level?
CCP : Point Guard
SDPrep: What can a basketball program expect from you as a player?
CCP: Dedication, Commitment, Determination, hard work, leadership and being a team player.
SDPrep: Tell us about your day to day workouts during the off-season.
CCP: Play basketball and work on my shooting. I’m always playing with my high school, spring & fall leagues & tournaments and playing with my club team. I do conditioning and do some one-on-one training when I can fit it in but my schedule has always been busy because I’m always playing with two teams during the off season. I usually get a week or two off right after the high school season and maybe two weeks off during the dead period and club season ends in August. Then our high school is right back at it in September with fall league and conditioning.
SDPrep: What was the last book you read?
CCP: Brave New World
SDPrep: What was the latest movie you saw?
CCP: Twilight
SDPrep: What is your all time favorite movie?
CCP: Love and Basketball
SDPrep: What have you enjoyed most about being at Eastlake?
CCP: MY COACH - Janet Eleazar-Martin…LOL and all of my teammates of course that I’ve played with as a freshman to a senior.
Coaches Q & A
Name: Cheyenne Curley-Payne
School: Eastlake High School, Chula Vista, CA
Position: Point Guard
High School Coach: Janet Eleazar
SDPrep: What were your stats from last season?
531 points 18.3 ppg
328 steals 11.3 spg
338 rebounds 11.7 rpg
251 assists 8.9 apg
SDPrep: What is your official height and weight?
CCP: 5’4 - 130lbs
SDPrep: What is your greatest basketball memory?
CCP: Winning CIF Sophomore year (06-07), and breaking the national season
steals record in a year my junior year (07-08) and CIF San Diego Sections Career Record set by Candice Wiggins my junior year (07-08) - 818 steals to date.
SDPrep: What are your goals for the upcoming season?
CCP:
1.Set new National All-time Career Records in Steals currently 925 and the State Career record. I need approximately 100 steals to set a new National Record, not sure what the State record is.
2.Set the CIF San Diego Section All-time Steals & Assist Career Record. I actually set the CIF San Diego Section Career Record last year with 818 steals, but want to add to that number and attempt to get in for an All-time Assist Career Record.
3.Break my National All-time Season steals record of 328 that I set last year and tied the record the in 2007 with 295 steals.
4.Get in National Record Book in for all-time Career Assists. I need approximately 260 assists this year to get in the book.
5.Win League, CIF and go to State.
SDPrep: What aspect of your game have you really worked hard to improve?
CCP: Shooting more outside the arc and jump shot
SDPrep: Who are some of your teammates that people need to watch out for?
CCP: All of them, particularly Diamond Mitchell, Yvonte Neal, Dar Castillo, Unzi Parks and Kayla Rivera-Paraiso
SDPrep: Name one teammate you really respect and why?
CCP: My whole team, they work hard and to be the best they can be and we all respect each other.
SDPrep: Tell us about Coach Eleazar.
CCP: She’s a great coach. She has taught me a lot in the last 4 years I have played with her and she is continues to do so daily. She not only helps me on the court, but off the court too with school, family and things like that. Even though there are times when she goes physco on us for messing up, it’s worth it because it makes us work harder to get better and to be better players.
She has worked really hard to build this team up again. She’s like the team’s second mom and we are all her kids because she’s always puts us first before herself. We love her very much and I’m going to miss her and her coaching when I leave for college.
SDPrep: What were your top 5 college choices?
CCP: I really didn’t have a top 5 but I always liked UCLA because of the campus, the atmosphere and the location. That was the first college I went to see my first college basketball game against USC with Noelle Quinn and Nikki Blue and liked the school. I always wanted to play for a Division I school and because UCLA was Division and I wanted a good academic school, I always thought I would go there, not really taking in consideration all the other Division I schools.
Then Howard became interested and I liked what they were offering and the new coaches on staff, I thought it is a good for me. My oldest sister, LaReina, went there and she loved it and felt it would be a good fit for me too. So maybe we will start a family tradition because now my little sister, Jaida, is saying she wants to go there. So we’ll see, she’s very athletic too.
SDPrep: What college will you be attending?
CCP: Howard University
SDPrep: What are your goals regarding playing college basketball?
My goals as a college player are to play as a freshman and become a starter. As a point guard, I want to be a good team leader and help to build a strong program and help to win a Conference Championship, ultimately leading us to the NCAA Championships and winning.
I would like to set some records as I did in high school and to take my game to a higher level. To become a stronger and wiser player as well as being successful in college basketball and successful as a student.
SDPrep: What were the top 3 reasons in selecting a college?
CCP:
1.Academics and availability of my degree
2.Finding the right fit for me and having a good rapport with the coaches and teammates
3.The impact I would have on the basketball program
SDPrep: Do you know what you will major in at the next level?
CCP: Right now, I’m considering Computer Science as my major with a minor in Sports Management/Therapy (Kinesiology)
SDPrep: Who is the best player you ever played against?
CCP: Don’t Know! I’ve played against some very talented people but I really don’t worry about that or think about whom I’m playing against. I just go out there, play hard and do what I do best, play ball!
SDPrep: Name one opponent who you really respect and why?
CCP: Emily Osga of Patrick Henry because she really surprised us last year in the playoffs. She was really under rated. She’s a great player who hustles and plays aggressively and doesn’t back down. I played with her this past summer with EBO and I really respect her game and her athletic ability.
SDPrep: What Club Basketball team do you play for in the spring and summer?
CCP: This past summer I played with EBO (Elite Basketball Organization) with Marlon Wells and Robbie Sandoval as my coach.
Prior to that, for three or four years, I played with One Shot Deal & San Diego Sol with Lakeysha Wright & Spatticus Harris as my coaches.
SDPrep: How do you think your coach would describe you as a player?
CCP: That I’m a very dedicated, hard working, committed, very experienced and smart player who knows the game very well. I’m very coachable, dependable and a team player who likes to get the whole team involved and unselfish; as well as being humble. Although I’m small in stature, I play big and both ends of the court at all times. I never give up and I’m very competitive
SDPrep: What are your strengths and weaknesses as a player?
CCP: My strengths are my quickness, defense, being a team player, knowledge of the game and my ability to see the whole court.
My weakness’s are not shooting enough, even though I can, I don’t and being unselfish.
SDPrep: Who is your favorite athlete and why?
CCP:Shannon Bobbitt because I like the way she plays and she’s small just like me and it gives me confidence in knowing that if she can make it to WNBA with her size, I can work hard and strive for the same goals. Just as Barack Obama books says, “The Audacity of Hope” and I have my hopes, my goals and my dreams to strive for…
SDPrep: What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?
CCP: “Cheyenne, you better finish school” from my lovely coach…..LOL. Because she just wants to make sure I have the best life.
SDPrep: Tell us what can we expect from your team this season?
CCP: Win Metro, win CIF and play and go to State playoffs and hopefully win…..let’s go all the way baby!!!
SDPrep: What position do you think you will play at the next level?
CCP : Point Guard
SDPrep: What can a basketball program expect from you as a player?
CCP: Dedication, Commitment, Determination, hard work, leadership and being a team player.
SDPrep: Tell us about your day to day workouts during the off-season.
CCP: Play basketball and work on my shooting. I’m always playing with my high school, spring & fall leagues & tournaments and playing with my club team. I do conditioning and do some one-on-one training when I can fit it in but my schedule has always been busy because I’m always playing with two teams during the off season. I usually get a week or two off right after the high school season and maybe two weeks off during the dead period and club season ends in August. Then our high school is right back at it in September with fall league and conditioning.
SDPrep: What was the last book you read?
CCP: Brave New World
SDPrep: What was the latest movie you saw?
CCP: Twilight
SDPrep: What is your all time favorite movie?
CCP: Love and Basketball
SDPrep: What have you enjoyed most about being at Eastlake?
CCP: MY COACH - Janet Eleazar-Martin…LOL and all of my teammates of course that I’ve played with as a freshman to a senior.