Payton Sparks grew up an IU fan. Now, he's an IU player. 'I just haven’t stopped smiling.'

In the interest of making sure it was the right decision, Payton Sparks didn’t commit to Indiana on his unofficial visit Monday. He wanted to sleep on it.

The Ball State transfer and Winchester grad grew up an IU fan. He remembers watching IU beat No. 1 Michigan in 2013. He remembers being in his living room to watch Christian Watford hit the famous shot to beat Kentucky. By his own recollection, he just sat there, shocked after, "like wow, they really just beat the No. 1 team in the land.”

“Just the tradition and just seeing them win every year,” Sparks said. “Playing on TV. Being a kid, that’s where you put yourself and want to be and succeed.”

So the unofficial visit was a collision between that kid and the impressive athlete he has now become. He and his family sat down with IU coach Mike Woodson, where they watched film on how he could fit in with the program.

“It was everything that I dreamed of, being a little kid, wanting to play for IU,” Sparks said of the visit.

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And yet, in perhaps a move of maturity, Sparks decided to wait, although briefly, to make a decision.

“I wanted to sleep on it and make sure it was the best, the right decision for me,” Sparks said. “You can come off the visit high on emotions. I just didn’t want to make a decision right off the visit. I just wanted to sleep on it, make sure I was making the right one.”

After waking up the next day, his answer was cemented.

“I was like, I know where I want to go to school and compete and just play at the highest level,” Sparks said. “And I’m like, 'I’m going to IU.'”