Payton Sandfort “all-in” for his senior season at Iowa
Waukee native turned down chance to pursue NBA dream
By Pat Harty
IOWA CITY, Iowa – In a world where everybody seems in such a hurry to reach their ultimate destination, Payton Sandfort moves at his own pace.
He could’ve bypassed his senior season with the Iowa men’s basketball team and stayed in the 2024 NBA draft because apparently there were some teams very interested in the 6-foot-8 Waukee native.
Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery was asked Monday at the team’s annual media day event if he ever thought that Sandfort would choose to stay in the two-round draft.
McCaffery compared Sandfort’s situation to former Hawkeye star Joe Wieskamp, who chose to stay in the draft after his junior season in 2021.
Wieskamp was selected by the San Antonio Spurs in the second round, and with the 41st pick overall, but the 6-6 Muscatine native has since only played in 38 NBA games, and currently plays in the Australian Professional League.
“Anytime somebody goes through the process, that’s a distinct possibility, right?” Fran McCaffery said. “Remember Joe Wieskamp? We always talk about him. He had the opportunity to come back. He shot seven for eight in the first competitive game at the combine. He also measured well. There were a number of things that happened in a positive way. Then he had a solid offer on the table, so then he was going.
“Payton also had solid offers on the table, but none that I think would have drawn him away from this program or this opportunity to do something special and then also, as I’ve said many times, bet on himself to move into the first round.”
Sandfort’s master plan is simple, yet daunting.
He wants to help Iowa win as many games as possible while also helping his NBA cause.
Sandfort made a significant jump from his sophomore to junior seasons, going from being a solid role player as a sophomore when he was named the Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year to being Iowa’s leading scorer and a third-team All-Big Ten selection as a junior.
He also became the first player in program history to record a triple-double as Sandford had 26 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in a win over Penn State last season.
But there still is room for improvement or Sandfort would have stayed in the draft.
He believes that another year as a Hawkeye will help to increase his chances of sticking in the NBA long term.
“Everything I do is all in, so I was all in on that,” Sandfort said of the NBA draft. “The feedback was really good throughout the entire process and there was obviously a spot for me. So, it would have been cool to be in the NBA.
“But you want to stick in the league. You don’t just want to get your foot in the door. So, that’s why I came back, to establish myself and maybe move up next year.”
Of course, it also helps that Payton Sandfort loves being a Hawkeye and playing in front of his home-state fans.
He also gets to play with his younger brother, Pryce Sandfort, for another season. Pryce Sandfort is a 6-7 sophomore forward for the Hawkeyes.
And to have another chance to make the NCAA Tournament was even more reason to come back.
Iowa played in the National Invitation Tournament last season, losing at Utah in the second round.
“That was probably the biggest part of it,” Payton Sandfort said. “Obviously, there was the sticking part and then there was a chance to leave a legacy and do more.
“I didn’t want to finish in the NIT. I want to play with these guys again, and I know the team we have. I’m super excited for the opportunities that I’ve been provided, and I’m thankful to be back and it’s going to be a good year.”
Iowa’s 2024-25 roster is a mix of youth and experience with six newcomers on the team, including Manhattan transfer Seydou Traore, a 6-7 forward, and Morehead State transfer Drew Thelwell, a 6-4 guard.
Payton Sandfort is among three returning starters from last season, along with 6-10 sophomore forward Owen Freeman and 6-4 junior guard Josh Dix, who was in Florida on a family vacation this summer when Payton Sandfort texted him to say that he was returning for his senior season.
“He was like yo, I’m coming back, let’s run it back, let’s do this thing,” Dix said. “I was super excited because I was hoping he was coming back. I wanted the best for him and if that was going to the NBA, then he could do that.
“But with him coming back, that’s what we needed. He’s really a good leader, a really good player, so you know it helps us a lot.”
With Payton Sandfort, Dix and Freeman, Iowa has what is being called a 3-Headed Monster in the UI media day notes.
Freeman was named the Big Ten Co-Freshman of the Year last season and he set an Iowa freshman record with 61 blocks. He also averaged 10.6 points and 6.6 rebounds per game while shooting 61.4 percent from the field.
“Guys are staying and we all are just connected and were brothers,” Freeman said. “So, it’s a lot of fun just being out there and hooping with your brothers.”
Dix, who is from Council Bluffs, averaged 8.9 points, and 2.2 rebounds per game as a sophomore last season, and he also ranked third on the team with 59 assists.
Dix saw how much Payton Sandfort improved as all-around player last season and uses that as motivation to improve his game.
“He just gets better every year,” Dix said of Payton Sandfort. “He develops different parts of his game, and he works super hard. I feel like our whole team kind of feeds off that energy.”
Payton Sandfort is known mostly for his 3-point shooting prowess.
But as he showed last season by averaging 6.6 rebounds per game, his game is way more than jut shooting.
“He knows in order to make the NBA, in order to help this team be what it could be, we need him to be an All-League player in all facets, and that’s what he’s going to be,” Fran McCaffery said.