Iowa
Iowa men’s basketball puts on impressive shooting display in win over Southern
IOWA CITY — Iowa men’s basketball put on an efficient offensive display in its 89-74 win over Southern University on Thursday.
Iowa did not shoot particularly well in the regular-season opener Monday but was scorching hot on Thursday. Against Southern, the Hawkeyes shot 53.3% from the field and 45% from deep. Meanwhile, Southern shot 47.7% from the field and 31.6% from three.
Seven Hawkeyes hit at least one 3-pointer. Iowa made 18 3-pointers as a team.
Iowa got scoring from a variety of players, including five in double-figures: Payton Sandfort, Pryce Sandfort, Owen Freeman, Drew Thelwell and Josh Dix.
Through two games this season, Pryce Sandfort has been an offensive weapon for Iowa. He followed up his 13-point outing against Texas A&M-Commerce with a team-high 22 points on Thursday. The sophomore was an efficient 8-of-10 from the field, including 6-of-8 from deep.
“He’s been playing like that. He really has been since the summer,” Iowa coach Fran McCaffery said of Pryce Sandfort. “Really consistently shooting the ball well, consistently playing well at both ends. Been much more aggressive driving the ball, making plays.
Video: Fran McCaffery discusess Iowa’s win over Southern University
Fran McCaffery discusses a variety of topics following Iowa’s win over Southern University on Thursday.
Payton Sandfort, who flirted with a triple-double against Texas A&M-Commerce, was in that neighborhood again on Thursday. He finished the game with 17 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. He did commit six turnovers, however.
Reigning Big Ten Co-Freshman of the Year Owen Freeman added 15 points and eight rebounds and three blocks on Thursday.
Iowa got off to a much better start on Thursday than it did against Texas A&M-Commerce. The Hawkeyes led by only seven points at halftime Monday and it took until the second half to gain some more substantial separation.
Against Southern, Iowa came out in much more decisive fashion. The Hawkeyes led by as many as 16 in the first half and, even though they hit a lull, held an 11-point advantage at the break.
The Hawkeyes were in pretty clear control for a majority of the contest. Iowa led by 25 with a little more than three minutes remaining but closed the contest in unimpressive fashion, making the final score tighter than it should’ve been.
“I just think we just need to take some more pride in getting stops,” Freeman said. “Because we were up (25). In Big Ten play we might not be up (25). We could be down nine and one of those stops could be huge. So we kinda got to think ahead to the future.”
Owen Freeman: Iowa needs to take ‘more pride in getting stops’ defensively
Owen Freeman discusses a variety of topics following Iowa’s win over Southern University on Thursday.
Iowa went with the same starting lineup as it did in the exhibition in the regular-season opener: Brock Harding, Josh Dix, Payton Sandfort, Ladji Dembele and Freeman.
Dembele had five points and eight rebounds. Dix scored 14. Harding had three points and six assists.
Along with Pryce Sandfort, Drew Thewell was very good off the bench for the second consecutive game. Thelwell, a Morehead State transfer, pitched in 12 points on 3-of-7 from deep.
Video: Pryce Sandfort talks career-high 22 points in win over Southern
Pryce Sandfort discusses a variety of topics following Iowa’s win over Southern University on Thursday.
Manhattan transfer Seydou Traore missed his second consecutive game due to injury. Iowa coach Fran McCaffery previously described it as a “bum wheel,” but did not seem concerned about it being a long-term issue. Traore’s blend of size and athleticism made him an intriguing offseason addition but his regular-season debut at Iowa continues to be put on hold.
McCaffery was optimistic postgame that Traore will make his Iowa debut on Tuesday.
Iowa plays one more lower-level opponent before taking a step up in competition. The Hawkeyes host South Dakota on Tuesday, but then face Washington State on Friday in Moline, Illinois. The game in the Quad Cities will serve as a homecoming for Freeman and Harding, who won a 4A state championship at Moline High School together as seniors.
Follow Tyler Tachman on X @Tyler_T15, contact via email at ttachman@gannett.com
Iowa
Former Iowa State star, All-American Audi Crooks announces transfer destination
Former Iowa State center Audi Crooks has committed to Oklahoma State via the NCAA Transfer Portal. She has one season of eligibility remaining.
Crooks made 99 appearances and 95 starts during her three seasons at Iowa State. She averaged 25.8 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game this past season, while shooting 64.9% from the field. Additionally, the 6-foot-3 star shot 1-11 from 3-point range.
Crooks played a leading role for the Cyclones from the moment she stepped on campus. She is a three-time All-Big 12 First-Team selection and two-time All-American. On April 2, Crooks announced her intention to enter the transfer portal.
“Cyclone Nation, thank you all for embracing me and showing up to Hilton every single game day. I’ve met so many of you out in the community, and I will cherish all of the genuine connections that I’ve built during my time at Iowa State,” Crooks wrote. “Words cannot fully express how grateful I feel to have called this place home.
“I want to thank my teammates for their friendship and all the great memories. … I still believe the grass is greener where you water it, and I’ve done that here.”
Now, Audi Crooks will aim to thrive in her new environment. Oklahoma finished the 2025-26 season with a 24-10 overall record.
The NCAA Transfer Portal officially opened on April 6 and closes on April 20. The new 15-day window was enacted following a recommendation by the women’s basketball oversight committee. Athletes don’t have to commit to a new school by the April 21 deadline.
To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.
Iowa
5 people wounded in shooting near University of Iowa campus, including 3 students
Five people were shot and injured at an Iowa City pedestrian mall near the University of Iowa campus overnight, police said Sunday. Students from the university were among the injured, according to school officials.
The Iowa City Police Department responded to a report of a large fight in the 100 Block of East College Street at 1:46 a.m. early Sunday, the department said in a news release. Arriving officers heard gunfire.
Multiple victims were hospitalized, police said. Police confirmed to CBS News that one person was in critical condition, while the other four victims are stable.
University of Iowa President Barb Wilson said in a statement that three students were among those shot. None of the victims has been publicly identified.
No arrests have been made, and the investigation is ongoing. Police said they are seeking information about five “persons of interest associated with this shooting.” The university also shared the request for information.
The pedestrian mall was closed for several hours and reopened Sunday afternoon.
Iowa
Vote: Who Should be Iowa’s High School Athlete of the Week? (4/19/2026)
Here are the candidates for High School on SI’s Iowa high school athlete of the week for April 13-18. Read through the nominees and cast your vote.
Voting closes at 11:59 p.m. PT on Sunday, April 26. The winner will be announced in the following week’s poll. Here are this week’s nominees:
Taylor Roose, Pella boys track and field
Roose competed in three events at the Norwalk Invitational, winning all three in the 100-meter dash, 200-meter dash and long jump.
Daxon Kiesau, Urbandale boys track and field
Kiesau swept the throwing events at the Norwalk Invitational, taking first place in the shot put and the discus.
Alex Burger, Southeast Valley boys track and field
Competing at home, Burger dominated, earning four gold medals. He won the 400-meter hurdles and the long jump while running on the winning 4×200-meter relay and shuttle hurdle relay.
Kolby Hodnefield, Clear Lake boys track and field
Hodenfield, a defending state champion, broke the meet, venue and school record in the 200 and the 400 at the Clear Lake Invitational. He added victories as part of the 4×100 and 4×400 relays. Both relays also set meet records.
Easton Moon, North Polk boys tennis
Moon has started off his senior season on the courts unbeaten, winning all four matches while dropping just one game in 44 played.
Ava Lohrbach, Gilbert girls golf
One of the top golfers in the state, Lohrbach has had a hot start, firing a 35 in her nine-hole debut and a 72 for her 18-hole opener.
Nathan Manske, Algona boys golf
An elite quarterback and basketball player, Manske is showing his golfing skills this spring, coming out with a state-low 30 in a nine-hole event.
Ella Hein, Tipton girls track and field
Hein set school records in the 400-meter run and long jump at the Tiger/Tigerette Relays while also locking in the Blue Standard and qualifying for the Drake Relays. She won the long jump (18-6) and was second in the 400.
Maeve Bowen-Burt, Iowa City High girls track and field
The sophomore helped the Little Hawks land three Drake Relays events on the last night of qualifying, advancing in the 400 hurdles, along with the sprint medley and 4×400 relays.
About Our Athlete of the Week Voting
High School on SI voting polls are meant to be a fun, lighthearted way for fans to show support for their favorite athletes and teams. Our goal is to celebrate all of the players featured, regardless of the vote totals. Sometimes one athlete will receive a very large number of votes — even thousands — and that’s okay! The polls are open to everyone and are simply a way to build excitement and community around high school sports. Unless we specifically announce otherwise, there are no prizes or official awards for winning. The real purpose is to highlight the great performances of every athlete included in the poll.
Follow
-
New York40 minutes agoInside the NYC Power Stations That Keep Trains Moving — or Bring Them to a Halt
-
Detroit, MI1 hour agoDetroit Pistons already facing must-win Game 2 vs Orlando Magic
-
San Francisco, CA1 hour agoGiants Head Home to San Francisco After Shutout Loss
-
Dallas, TX1 hour agoNew video of Lake Dallas explosion draws focus on order decades ago to remove old plastic pipes
-
Miami, FL2 hours ago
Ty Simpson considered staying in college for $6.5 million offer from Miami
-
Boston, MA2 hours agoTools for Your To Do List with Spot and Gemini Robotics | Boston Dynamics
-
Denver, CO2 hours agoDenver beekeeper says swarm season came a month early this year thanks to warm weather
-
Seattle, WA2 hours agoHere, Kitty, Kitty: Scenes from POP Cats Seattle 2026