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Iowa men’s basketball: Sophomore Pryce Sandfort quickly emerging as weapon for Hawkeyes

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Iowa men’s basketball: Sophomore Pryce Sandfort quickly emerging as weapon for Hawkeyes


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IOWA CITY — It was late in the first half of Thursday’s contest between Iowa and Southern that Pryce Sandfort became acutely aware that this was, so to speak, his night.

With the shot clock running down, point guard Brock Harding got caught in the air as he tried to salvage the possession and flung a desperation pass to Sandfort in the corner. Pryce Sandfort corralled the low delivery and let a 3-pointer rip before the shot clock sounded.

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“It felt really good,” Sandfort recalled. “And it was money. So that’s probably when I was like, yeah, it’s my night.”

For a while, Sandfort was pitching the basketball equivalent of a perfect game. It wasn’t until a little more than five minutes left in the game — after eight makes from the field, including six from deep — that Sandfort missed his first shot.

It was, Sandfort confirmed after the game, like blacking out. 

“Yeah, pretty much,” Sandfort said. “Obviously, I’m not trying to force — still get good shots. But every time I was going up in that zone, it felt like it was going in. So it feels good.”

Sandfort did end up missing shots — only two to be exact. But his final stat line was still remarkably efficient. He finished the night with a career-high 22 points on 8-of-10 from the field and 6-of-8 from deep, plus four rebounds off the bench in Iowa’s 89-74 victory.

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Two games into the 2024-25 regular season, the sophomore is quickly emerging as a serious weapon for the Hawkeyes.

“He’s been playing like that,” Iowa coach Fran McCaffery said. “He really has been since the summer. Really consistently shooting the ball well, consistently playing well at both ends. Been much more aggressive driving the ball, making plays.

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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.

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Named 2023 Iowa Mr. Basketball as a senior at Waukee Northwest, Pryce Sandfort’s game did not immediately translate in his freshman season for the Hawkeyes. There were clear growing pains in the transition to the college level as Sandfort played sparingly and was just a limited factor.

That sparked a change behind the scenes. Sandfort suggested that he move to scout team during practice in hopes of playing more freely. McCaffery said this isn’t unheard of — a player desiring to transition to scout team — but it is a rarity.

“He just got back to being who he is,” McCaffery said. “The guy was Mr. Basketball for a reason. He was the best player in the state. And he was trying to fit in. He was a freshman and trying to be solid. It’s like, dude, you need to go make plays, you need to be aggressive, you need to drive the ball, you need to impact the game with your length, with your size, with your shooting.”

Sandfort showed small doses of what he could do toward the end of last season. During a stretch in February, he made 5-of-8 3-pointers during Big Ten play.

That set the stage for the offseason. Sandfort added some weight to his lanky 6-foot-7 frame. At Iowa basketball’s media day, McCaffery raved about the way Sandfort had been shooting leading up to his sophomore season.

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In a small sample size, that is already being validated. Sandfort scored 11 in Iowa’s exhibition against Minnesota Duluth, all of which came in the second half. He set a then-career-high 13 points in Monday’s regular-season opener against Texas A&M-Commerce. That didn’t last long as Sandfort shattered his record yet again with the 22-point outing against Southern on Thursday.

To fellow sophomore Owen Freeman, the way Sandfort is playing isn’t exactly a surprise. What Sandfort has done out of the public eye is now coming to light.

“I kinda got to see it all last year,” Freeman said. “He helped us with scout, so he kinda killed us when he was on the scout team, too. I’ve been seeing it for a while.”

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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.

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If this can be sustained — and that remains a big if — it would be a meaningful development for Iowa.

The Hawkeyes’ success this season hinges not only on the play of the big three — Payton Sandfort, Owen Freeman and Josh Dix — but also an ability to get contributions outside of them.

Iowa did so on Thursday.

Payton Sandfort, Owen Freeman and Josh Dix combined for 46 points. But the Hawkeyes also got 35 bench points, 22 of which came via Pryce Sandfort and 12 of which were delivered by Morehead State transfer Drew Thelwell. Pryce Sandfort and Drew Thelwell have now scored in double figures in each of Iowa’s first two games.

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The glamor of Iowa’s 18 made 3-pointers — one-third of them by Pryce Sandfort — was somewhat dampened by an uninspiring end to the game. Iowa, which led by 25 points with a little more than three minutes remaining, let Southern finish the game on a 10-0 run, making the final score appear less decisive. Freeman was adamant after the game that Iowa needs to take more pride in getting stops defensively.

Iowa is still clearly a work in progress — as many teams are at this point in the season. But the more storylines to materialize like that of Pryce Sandfort, the brighter the future looks for the Hawkeyes.

“It feels really good,” Pryce Sandfort said. “I’ve pictured these moments in my head all throughout last year and in the offseason. So now that it’s here, it feels really good that all that hard work paid off.”

Follow Tyler Tachman on X @Tyler_T15, contact via email at ttachman@gannett.com





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Vote: Who Should be Iowa’s High School Athlete of the Week? (4/19/2026)

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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

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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.

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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.

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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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Houston icon George Foreman laid to rest in Iowa, drawn by a peaceful 1988 visit

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Houston icon George Foreman laid to rest in Iowa, drawn by a peaceful 1988 visit


The late boxing great George Foreman lies buried in a cemetery in the northwestern corner of Iowa – a place he has no connection to outside of a lone visit to the region nearly 40 years ago.

Foreman died March 21, 2025, at the age of 76 in Houston and was buried in Logan Park Cemetery at Sioux City, Iowa, a month later, city officials confirmed. Foreman’s family returned Thursday to his burial site, holding a news conference with Sioux City Mayor Bob Scott to reveal Foreman’s burial place, marked by a large monument that bears an image of him as a teen following his Olympic gold medal boxing win.

The family explained in a statement released by Sioux City officials that he had visited the Iowa city in 1988, and often recalled the sense of peace he experienced there.

After traveling to the city on April 17 last year to bury Foreman, his family said they immediately understood the region’s appeal.

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“Our father lived a life of purpose, faith and gratitude,” the family said in a statement released by Sioux City officials. “To see him laid to rest in a place that brought him peace means everything to us.”

Scott joined the family at Foreman’s monument that lies just a few miles north of the Missouri River in an upper Midwest city of nearly 87,000 people. The cemetery overlooks the scenic Loess Hills, created by windblown silt deposits that reach up to 200 feet high (about 61 meters) and line the river along the Iowa border for 200 miles (322 kilometers).

“Their story is a reminder of how one place can stay with someone for a lifetime,” Scott said.

A native Texan, Foreman rose to fame when he made the 1968 U.S. Olympic boxing team, winning gold in Mexico City. He became the heavyweight champion of the world in 1973 by defeating the great Joe Frazier, only to lose the title a year later to Muhammad Ali in the famous “Rumble in the Jungle.”

A full 20 years later in 1994, Foreman became the oldest man to win the heavyweight championship at 45, defeating Michael Moorer in an epic upset.

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Foreman retired in 1997 with a 76-5 career record.

He then moved on to the next chapter in his life as a businessman, pitchman and occasional actor, becoming known to a new generation as the face of the George Foreman Grill. The simple cooking machine sold more than 100 million units and brought him more wealth than boxing.

A biographical movie based on Foreman’s life was released in 2023.

Copyright © 2026 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.



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GOP governor candidate Zach Lahn pitches Iowa-first platform at Dubuque town hall

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GOP governor candidate Zach Lahn pitches Iowa-first platform at Dubuque town hall


DUBUQUE, Iowa (KCRG) — About 50 Iowans braved the threat of severe storms to hear from Republican candidate for governor Zach Lahn at his town hall in Dubuque Friday night.

Lahn, a farmer and businessman, said his campaign is about solving the long-term systemic issues facing Iowans.

One priority is addressing what Lahn calls a cancer crisis in Iowa, as the state has the second-highest cancer rate in the country. Solving the crisis means ensuring Iowans have access to clean, nitrate-free drinking water, working with farmers to reduce agricultural runoff.

“Iowans are just ready for something that they should be able to count on, like clean drinking water,” Lahn said. “We have ways to clean up the drinking water in Iowa that isn’t on the backs of farmers, but is working alongside with them because they’re drinking the water too, and they want to do what’s right.”

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Lahn also wants to stop Iowa’s “brain drain,” as more of Iowa’s college graduates left the state for opportunities elsewhere.

“Don’t leave! Give me some time! I’m going to fight to keep you here,” Lahn said. “I was one of these kids. I thought I had to leave the state to find something better. We have to prioritize Iowa’s incentive dollars to make sure they’re going to grow Iowa businesses that are going to be here for the long haul, so our kids have places to work.”

Running a distinct campaign feels challenging this election, as Lahn is one of five GOP candidates who want to be Iowa’s next governor, facing U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra, former Department of Administrative Services Director Adam Steen, state Rep. Eddie Andrews and former state Rep. Brad Sherman.

Iowa Auditor Rob Sand is the only Democrat running for the state’s top office.

Lahn said he stands out by promising Iowa will be for Iowans, pledging to ban the use of eminent domain for private gain and tax out-of-state landowners and data centers at higher rates to lower property taxes.

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“It always goes back to follow the money, so when it comes to not being a weak-kneed Republican today, I believe the paramount piece of that is answering only to the citizens of Iowa, not to special interests to pad their bottom line, but what’s best for the people of Iowa,” Lahn said.

Copyright 2026 KCRG. All rights reserved.



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