What a difference a year can make, especially for the Iowa Men's Basketball program.
During the 2024-2025 season, the Hawkeyes were in the midst of one of the worst seasons they had ever experienced under Fran McCaffery.
While the offense could pop off at times, there wasn't enough consistency, especially with star player Owen Freeman out for the season with a wrist injury.
Fran McCaffery is now gone, Owen Freeman is riding the bench with Ceighton, and Ben McCollum has guided the Hawkeyes to their first 20-win season since the 2021-2022 season.
One bright spot on the 17-16 Hawkeyes was senior guard Payton Sandfort, and now he is one step closer to making his NBA dreams a reality.
The OKC Thunder signed Sandfort to a two-way contract
Sandfort earned an All-Big Ten Honorable Mention after averaging 16.3 points and 6.4 rebounds per game, both second to Owen Freeman.
He battled through multiple injuries in his final year on campus, causing him to slip out of the 2025 NBA Draft and go undrafted.
After he graduated, it was announced that he played through a broken wrist and torn labrums, but he still signed with the Oklahoma City organization.
His hard work and determination have paid off, because the Thunder have converted his contract to a new two-way deal.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are signing Payton Sandfort to a two-way NBA contract out of their OKC Blue G League affiliate, Ross Aroyo and Mark Bartelstein of @PrioritySports tell ESPN. Sandfort joined the OKC program after being undrafted from Iowa last June.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 2, 2026
After going undrafted and rehabbing multiple injuries, Sandfort has averaged 11.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game in 21 games for the Oklahoma City Blue, the Thunder's G-League affiliate.
In a corresponding move, the Thunder waived guard Buddy Boeheim in order to convert Sandfort's contract.
OKC has been ravaged by injuries this season, and there is no telling when or if Sandfort will see the court for the big league club this season, but his determination and hard work have moved him one step closer to playing in the NBA.