By Pat Harty

IOWA CITY, Iowa – Barring a miraculous late-season surge, the 2024-25 Iowa men’s basketball team probably will soon be forgotten.

And if it is remembered, it’ll mostly be for under-achieving, for being riddled with injuries and for playing before sparse crowds at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

Payton Sandfort had big plans for his senior season on the Iowa men’s basketball team.

His plan was to help lead the Hawkeyes to the NCAA Tournament after having missed the Big Dance last season, and to enjoy the thrill and privilege of playing with his younger brother, Pryce Sandfort, for one last season.

Iowa would have so much success that fans would start to pack Carver-Hawkeye Arena as the wins started to stack up.

At least, that was the plan.

Unfortunately, for Payton Sandfort, this season hasn’t gone as planned.

In fact, it’s been brutal at times.

It seems what could go wrong for Iowa has gone wrong this season.

Injuries have certainly been a factor, but Iowa also has struggled, especially on defense.

Payton Sandfort has struggled at times, too, and he would be the first to admit it.

But through it all, his leadership and his work ethic has helped to keep the team unified and energized.

Graduate transfer Drew Thelwell also has helped in that regard.

He and Payton Sandfort both epitomize what it means to be an Iowa Hawkeye, though, how they reached this point in their careers couldn’t be more different.

Payton Sandfort grew up in Waukee with his younger brother and current Iowa teammate, Pryce Sandfort, and they both dreamed of playing college basketball, and both had Iowa at the top of their wish lists.

Drew Thelwell grew up in Orlando, Florida and played his first four seasons for Morehead State in Kentucky where he left as the all-time winningest player in program history.

If it weren’t for the transfer portal, Thelwell probably never would have even considered being a Hawkeye.

So while the transfer portal certainly has its share of problems, it also helped to bring Drew Thelwell to Iowa City, and for that, Hawkeye fans should forever be grateful.

Payton Sandfort and Drew Thelwell are among five Iowa seniors that will be honored before Thursday’s home finale against No. 8 Michigan State at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

They will share the senior spotlight with forward Even Brauns, center Riley Mulvey and walk-on guard Luc Laketa.

The moment would be bittersweet under any circumstance because it’s never easy saying good-bye to something you cherish.

But with Iowa struggling at 6-12 in Big Ten play, and in danger of not being one of the 15 teams that will make the Big Ten Tournament, emotions truly are mixed.

“Just getting the chance to kind of live out my dream and so many great things, right now, it kind of feels like a lot of that is being overshadowed by the circumstances of this season,” Payton Sandfort said. “This isn’t really the season I wanted to be defined by. But in a way this is kind of like the person that I am and what I want to be defined by; when times were the toughest and things weren’t going well, I stayed true in my character. I kept fighting.

“When I had every out possible, I could have called it in January. I could have called it in November. I could have backed down. But I never did. I think that’s what I’m most proud of myself for because it hasn’t been easy. There’s been a lot of bumps and bruises and a lot of tough days and a lot of people quitting on us. I’ve gotten death threats. I’ve gotten all sorts of stuff this season. But I never quit. It hasn’t been easy. But of all the years, I think this might be the year I’m most proud of myself.”

Payton Sandfort didn’t go into detail about the death threats, but for him to have experienced that kind of reaction simply for playing a game is sad and disgusting.

Nobody wants to win more than Payton Sandfort, and nobody hates losing more than Payton Sandfort.

“He’s serious about his craft,” Fran McCaffery said. “He loves to play. And he loves to work. It’s not work. It’s what he does. And he prepares and he communicates with his teammates.

“And you just have to love and appreciate that about him. And it’s understandable that he would take losses that hard and celebrate victory. You try to make sure they understand there’s nothing better than winning. There’s nothing better than winning on the road. It’s what we work so hard for. But you never want them to take losses so hard that it affects everything moving forward. And he’s able to get back to work and refocus, and that’s important.”

Payton Sandfort has come a long way as a player since he committed to Fran McCaffery.

He ranks 14th on Iowa’s all-time scoring list with 1,535 points, made third-team All-Big Ten as a junior, is the only player in program history to record a triple-double, and was named the Big Ten’s Sixth-Man of Year as a sophomore.

Payton Sandfort has also played in two NCAA Tournaments, and was a key reserve as a freshman on Iowa’s 2022 Big Ten Tournament championship team.

He was so accomplished as a player that he tested the NBA draft process last spring and seriously considered leaving early.

“He’s a guy that was able to contribute immediately, which is very difficult to do at this level,” Fran McCaffery said of Payton Sandfort. “We had some good players and a good team when he got here. But he was very, very instrumental in that championship team.”

With Iowa struggling to win games right now, it’s easy to forget all those times when Payton Sandfort basked in the joy of winning.

He also has had the privilege of playing with his younger brother for going on two seasons now.

And from a player development standpoint, Payton Sandfort certainly has earned his scholarship and put himself in a position to play professionally as a 6-foot-8 small forward with a quick release and unlimited range.

“It’s been special,” Payton Sandfort said of being a Hawkeye. “There’s been a lot of really, really tough days. There’s been a lot of really really good days. Nobody was really giving me a chance to have a good, or a great career here at Iowa. I was kind of under-recruited and I came out of Covid. I was really just coming out of high school hoping I could make an impact on this program. You always want to try and leave the jersey in a better place than you left it. I felt like I did that in high school, but to me, it felt like none of it mattered unless I was able to come to college and prove myself.

“So, if I look back on my career and I were to have told my 18-year old self that this is what it’s going to be like, I think he’d be pretty ecstatic, the way I’ve been able to develop, especially all other areas of my game outside of shooting. Just taking such great strides and being a guy that’s able to be on top of the scouting reports and win all these big games and compete.”

A PERFECT  FIT

Drew Thelwell, meanwhile, hasn’t even been a Hawkeye for a year, and yet, he makes being a Hawkeye seem so natural with the way he tries to energize the fans and with how he enthusiastically interacts with his teammates and coaches, and with the media.

It’s rare to see him not smiling.

Thelwell also has certainly proven himself from a player standpoint in his only season as a Hawkeye.

He became the starting point guard early in the season, and has made an impact on both offense and defense, averaging 9.8 points and 1.6 steals per game.

The biggest challenge for the 6-foot-3 Thelwell has been staying healthy as he recently was slowed by ankle injury that cost him several games.

He tried to play in two games after the injury, but his ankle just wasn’t ready.

The fact that he tried, and that he talked Fran McCaffery into starting him when his ankle clearly wasn’t ready, says a lot about Thelwell’s competitiveness, determination and persuasiveness.

“Without medicine I was probably at 50 percent, to be honest with you” Thelwell said. “But it’s my last year. So I want to be out there. I want to help the team win as much as I can.

“So, I tried for those few game, but I just couldn’t do much.”

Asked how he convinced Fran McCaffery to let him play, Thelwell said:

“I don’t know how I convinced him to be honest with you. I just really wanted to be out there, and I think he could tell. I just want to give my all whenever I’m out there, so I think he just kind of let me try it.”

Thelwell was used to winning and was used to staying healthy until this season.

His injury, coupled with the loss of sophomore forward Owen Freeman to a season-ending finger injury in early February, has been too much for the team to overcome.

The 6-10 Freeman was leading the team in scoring and rebounding when he was lost for the season.

“It’s kind of my first stretch in my college career where I’ve missed back-to-back games, so it’s new, and I think honestly, it’s just given me another perspective; how can I help other guys as much as I can? How can I help them learn? And how can I help them grow because it’s not always about you?

“It’s about your teammates, too.”

Thelwell was asked at a press conference on Tuesday what he will take away from his one year at Iowa?

“Honestly, I thought about this question before I came in here and two of the biggest things was seeing the growth of my teammates, the younger guys, I’m so proud of them because I see things that you guys don’t get to see on the practice court and one night in the locker room,” Thelwell said. “And then honestly, the fans. I couldn’t have asked for a better group of people. They don’t understand how much I appreciate it. The love is there both ways.”

The fact that Thelwell would single out the fans in a season in which attendance has been woefully low says a lot about his loyalty and about his positive outlook on things.

Drew Thelwell’s glass is always half full, and that’s just what this depleted and battered Iowa team needs right now.

SENIOR SALUTE

Each of Iowa’s five seniors has a unique story to tell.

Even Brauns grew up in Iowa City and played on the same high school team as former Hawkeye Patrick McCaffery, who is Fran McCaffery’s son.

Brauns didn’t have an offer from Iowa coming out of high school, so he played his first three seasons for Belmont in the Missouri Valley Conference before transferring to Iowa for his last two seasons.

Brauns struggled to get playing time before Freeman was injured.

But when called upon in recent games, the 6-9, 238-pound Brauns has delivered by given Iowa a physical presence near the basket.

The 6-11 Mulvey also has seen his role change dramatically since Freeman was injured.

Mulvey and Brauns were both thrust into duty, and they both have had their senior moments.

It’s easy to forget that Mulvey sacrificed his senior year of high school in New York to enroll early at Iowa. He was that eager to be a Hawkeye, and to play for Fran McCaffery.

And he stuck it out despite playing very little until this season.

That speaks well for both Mulvey and for Fran McCaffery.

As for Luc Laketa, just the fact that he has stayed the course as a preferred walk-on also says something because it’s probably not easy watching from the bench with little chance of playing while also being expected to work hard in practice.

Laketa had a connection to Fran McCaffery in that Laketa’s father, Parker, coached alongside Fran McCaffery at Notre Dame for seven seasons in the 1990s.

This will be the 15th senior class that Fran McCaffery will pay tribute to, and each class is special in its own way regardless of the wins and losses.

But there is also a game to play on Thursday against one of the top teams in the conference.

“I think our guys are mature enough to appreciate the moment and then turn on the switch and play,” Fran McCaffery said. “I feel pretty confident in that area.”

Payton Sandfort has a pretty good idea what to expect from the deep and talented Spartans, who are 15-3 in conference play.

“They just come at you in waves and they’re physical and they’re tough and we’ve got to be able to match that,” Payton Sandfort said. “I’m hoping we get a good home crowd behind us and a lot of energy in the building and I think it’s great opportunity for us to go out with something special.

“And I think we’re really excited for the opportunity.”

Iowa has won two straight games and five of the last six over Michigan State dating back to the 2020-21 season.

To make it three in row would certainly send the Iowa seniors out in style.

Iowa will then finish the regular-season against Nebraska Sunday in Lincoln, Nebraska.

 

Michigan State (24-5, 15-3) vs. Iowa (15-14, 6-12)

When: Thursday, 7 p.m.

Where: Carver-Hawkeye Arena

TV: FS1

Radio: Hawkeye Radio Network

All-time series: Thursday’s game will be the 138th game in the all-time series. The Spartans lead, 77-60. Iowa has won two straight and five of the last six games over Michigan Stater dating back to the 2020-21 season.