Payton Sandfort Named to Wooden Award Top 50 Preseason Watch List

IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa senior forward Payton Sandfort has been named to the 2024-25 John R. Wooden Award Top 50 Preseason Watch List, it was announced Thursday.

Chosen by a preseason poll of national college basketball experts, the list is comprised of 50 student-athletes who are the early front-runners for the most prestigious honors in college basketball – the Wooden Award All-American Team and Most Outstanding Player.

Sandfort is one of nine Big Ten players on the list, along with Rutgers’ Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper, Penn State’s Ace Baldwin, Indiana’s Oumar Ballo, Minnesota’s Dawson Garcia, Washington’s Great Osobor, Purdue’s Braden Smith and Ohio State’s Bruce Thornton.

The Waukee, Iowa, native had a strong start to the 2024-25 season by flirting with a triple-double in the Hawkeyes’ season-opening victory over Texas A&M-Commerce. Sandfort finished with 20 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists and three blocks for his 19th career 20-point game and sixth double-double.

As a junior, the 6-foot-8, 215 pound forward put up career-best numbers across the board, averaging 16.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.7 assists, while shooting 44.6 percent from the floor, 37.9 percent from distance and 91.1 percent from the free throw stripe. He ranked second in the Big Ten in free throw percentage, third in 3-point percentage, eighth in scoring, 12th in field goal percentage and 13th in rebounding en route to third-team All-Big Ten honors.

Sandfort was one of the best shooters in the Big Ten, leading the league with 94 3-point field goals. He made two or more 3s in 27 games, three or more in 17 games and four or more 12 times. The 94 makes ranked in the top 40 nationally.

Sandfort, who became just the second Big Ten Player since 1992-92 to average 16+ points, 6+ rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.5 3-point field goals, made Iowa history during a Feb. 27 victory over Penn State. He recorded the first triple-double in program history, finishing with 26 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists and three blocks in the game.

Former Hawkeye Luka Garza won the Wooden Award in 2021; he was also a Wooden Award finalist in 2020.

Iowa returns to action tonight, hosting Southern at 7 p.m. (CT) in Carver-Hawkeye Arena in the second game of the Kenny Arnold Classic. The game will be streamed live on B1G+.