Iowa Hawkeyes Star Forward Provides Uplifting Comments

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The Iowa Hawkeyes have had a rough 2024-25 college basketball season. Similar to what the football team went through this past year, it has been filled with ups and a lot of downs.
At this point in the year, Iowa is 14-10 and their hopes of making the NCAA Tournament are not very good. No one can ever say never, but the Hawkeyes will likely miss out on March Madness.
Payton Sandfort has had a good year. He has been a major leader for Iowa and has backed that leadership up with consistent production on the court.
After helping to lead the Hawkeyes to a big win over Rutgers on Wednesday evening, Sandfort spoke out with some uplifting comments about his team.
Despite the rollercoaster ride of the season, Sandfort could not be more happy with and proud of his teammates.
“The way we’ve stayed together, the way that we keep fighting, putting on that jersey with pride. It means a lot to me as someone who's been a part of this program for a long time," Sandfort said.
Payton Sandfort: “The way we’ve stayed together, the way that we keep fighting, putting on that jersey with pride. It means a lot to me as someone who's been a part of this program for a long time.” pic.twitter.com/1qZbwejAea
— Tyler Tachman (@Tyler_T15) February 13, 2025
Once again, his leadership was on full display with those comments. He's also 100 percent right about how the team has stayed together instead of falling apart and giving up.
Against Rutgers, Sandfort ended up scoring 20 points to go along with six rebounds and three assists. Josh Dix led the way with 26 points on the night.
Hopefully, Iowa can finish out the season strong. They may not end up making it to the tournament, but continuing to play through adversity and finishing strong would give them something to be very proud of moving forward.
Next up for the Hawkeyes will be a Sunday evening matchup on the road against the currently No. 25 ranked Maryland Terrapins. It's another opportunity for Iowa to come through with a statement win.
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Evan Massey is a sports reporter and analyst who covers college football, the NFL and NBA. He has contributed to the On SI network since July 2021. He has also written for ESPN, Yahoo! Sports, Forbes, Bleacher Report, NFLAnalysis.net, NBAAnalysis.net and many other publications. In his free time, Evan enjoys spending time with his wife and son.