ESPN RISE

Marc Payne still remembers the scene.

The year was 1974, and though he was just four years removed from leading the Beaver Creek (West Jefferson, N.C.) High School boys' basketball team as a player, Payne was gearing up to lead his alma mater in a very different way -- as coach.

Thirty-five years and 500 wins later, Payne has seen everyone from James Worthy to Michael Jordan play high school hoops in North Carolina.

Now in his seventh year as boys' basketball coach at Ashe County High School, in West Jefferson, N.C., Payne has the experience and the success to weigh in on where North Carolina stacks up in the Great State Debate.

ESPN RISE: What were your playing days like in early 1970s in North Carolina?
Marc Payne: Well, I played basketball, football and baseball. In basketball, I was what would be termed now as a 3, a small forward. I was one of those guys that never saw a jump shot that I didn't like. I don't know if I was a gun, but I shot it a lot.

RISE: Could you get a feel for where North Carolina stacked up against other states talentwise back then?
Payne: Well, I would go to a lot of different basketball camps. I went to Wake Forest's camp and North Carolina State's camp. So I would play against players from out of state there. I thought we were competitive with players from other states, even back then. There were players that were better, but we more than held our own. North Carolina has always been known for having a lot of talent in high school basketball.

RISE: How has the talent changed over the years?
Payne: The depth of the talent has definitely increased, and that's due in large part to YBOA and AAU. We didn't have those things probably until the early 1980s. In the summer of 1984, I got a call from a coach asking me to bring my team down to play in an AAU tournament. I said, "What is AAU?" Well, obviously everyone knows about AAU now. And North Carolina has some of the best AAU programs in the country. I do think that kids play more now, but I don't know that they're as fundamentally sound. But again, the depth of talent is much greater than it was back then.

RISE: Who are some of the players you've seen in North Carolina?
Payne: Well, when I worked a camp at Belmont Abbey, James Worthy came through when he was in the ninth grade. I worked a camp at Appalachian State when Bobby Cremins was there, and Michael Jordan came through with his team from Laney when he was a rising freshman. He had a lot of work to do, but obviously he did a great job. There's been so much talent to come through this state and there's so much talent here now. I'd put our talent up against any other state.

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AP Photo/Lynn Hey

Chris Paul is among the new era of North Carolina standouts.

RISE: How has pop culture influenced hoops in North Carolina?
Payne: We really put a premium on sportsmanship here, and we want our young men at all levels to treat each other with respect and compete. But obviously we don't always see that on TV. Back then we didn't have "SportsCenter." Even me, that's about all I watch, that and "Walker, Texas Ranger." We talk to our kids all the time about not trying to make a play that LeBron James or Chris Paul would make; they need to make a play that they would make. That's probably the biggest influence.

RISE: How have rule changes changed hoops in North Carolina?
Payne: Well, the 3-point line changed high school basketball here, for sure. When it first came in, I wasn't sure how that would work out. Now I see that it changed it for the better because of the tremendous weapon that the line can be. And we've always had great shooters in this state, so it's kind of played into our hand, I suppose.

RISE: What are North Carolina players known for?
Payne: I think we're known for our all-around abilities. We can shoot, play defense and run the floor. We have players that are more known for their all-around-id-ness, if that's a word.

RISE: How does North Carolina stack up against other states in high school hoops?
Payne: Well, obviously I'm a little biased, but if we're not the best, we're really close. Indiana gets a lot of credit and Kentucky does too, and rightfully so. But North Carolina has the depth with coaching, the ability of the players, and we've got colleges like North Carolina, Duke, NC State. … Being very biased, I'd put North Carolina at the top as far as high school hoops.

RISE: So if there was an all-star game between states, North Carolina would win?
Payne: Yes, I think that we'd be very well-represented. I coached in the North Carolina-South Carolina game and we won handily. But every year is a different year. Obviously, you depend on the talent that you have to work with year-to-year, but if we're talking all-time, I definitely think that North Carolina is on top.

Jason Jordan writes for ESPNRISE.com and ESPN The Magazine.