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Payton Sandfort named to Top 10 for Julius Erving Award

On3 imageby: Tom Kakert02/05/25HawkeyeReport

Payton Sandfort has been named to the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award Midseason top 10, it was announced Wednesday by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. 

The Waukee, Iowa, native is one of two players from the Big Ten Conference on the list along with Rutgers’ Ace Bailey.  Other players include: Auburn’s Chad Baker-Mazara, Duke’s Cooper Flagg, Kentucky’s Jaxon Robinson, Oklahoma’s Jalon Moore, San Diego State’s Miles Byrd, St. John’s RJ Luis, UConn’s Liam McNeeley and North Carolina’s Ian Jackson.

Sandfort is averaging 16.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists on the season, while shooting 41 percent from the field and 34.9 percent from 3-point range.  He has a team-high 58 3-point field goals, which are tops in the Big Ten.

The forward has a team-best nine 20-point games, including tying a career-high with a 30-point outing (all in the second half and overtime) in the home win over Nebraska on Jan. 7.  He has scored in double figures in 19 games and has a pair of double-doubles.

Sandfort currently ranks third in program history with 245 career 3-point field goals and 19th in career scoring with 1,426 points.  His 89.2 career free throw percentage is currently No. 1 in program history.

Fan voting for the award will open on Friday, Feb. 7.  The top player selections from the fan vote will get an additional vote toward making the next round. 

The list will be narrowed to the top five as the season progresses and finalists will be selected in late March.  The winner of the award will be announced during the Final Four weekend.

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