Payton Sandfort named co-Big Ten Player of the Week
Payton Sandfort has been named the Big Ten Co-Player of the Week, it was announced Monday by the league office. It is the second weekly honor of Sandfort’s career.
Sandfort, who was also selected as Dick Vitale’s National Player of the Week, shared the Big Ten distinction with Michigan’s Vladislav Goldin.
The Waukee, Iowa, native was recognized after averaging 26.5 points, six rebounds and 3.5 assists in leading the Hawkeyes to wins over Nebraska and Indiana. He shot 55.6 percent from the floor, 52.6 percent from 3-point range and went 13-of-14 from the free throw stripe.
Sandfort’s week started slow after he was held scoreless in the first half of the Jan. 7 game against Nebraska. The Hawkeyes trailed by as many as 15 points in the second half before Sandfort exploded to score 30 points in the second half and overtime (27 in the second half alone), leading the Hawkeyes to a 97-87 win.
He finished the game 8-of-15 from the field, made 6-of-10 3-pointers and went 8-of-9 from the free throw stripe to match his career high. He also had six rebounds, four assists, one block and one steal in 35 minutes.
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The second half production was the most by a Hawkeye since Luka Garza scored 27 of his 44 points in the first half at Michigan in 2019.
Against Indiana, it was déjà vu.
Sandfort scored two points in the first half before scoring 21 points in the second in an 85-60 blasting of the Hoosiers. He made 7-of-12 field goals, including four 3-pointers, to go along with six rebounds and three assists.
The performance was Sandfort’s team-leading sixth 20-point game of the season and it pushed his scoring average to a team-best 16.9 points on the year. Iowa’s 25-point win over Indiana was the largest in the series since 1996.
Sandfort was previously named the Big Ten Player of the Week on March 4, 2024.
