While the 2024-25 Iowa basketball season wrapped up with the Hawkeyes' loss to Illinois at the Big Ten Tournament a few weeks ago, it turns out that Payton Sandfort isn't quite finished with an Iowa uniform. On Friday, it was announced that Sandfort will be taking part in the State Farm College Dunk and 3-Point Championships taking place over the Final Four weekend in San Antonio, Texas. The event is scheduled to take place at 6 PM CT on Thursday, April 3 at the Frost Bank Center.
2024-25 actually featured the lowest 3-point percentage of Sandfort's career at 34.0% (84-of-247), but he's been one of the best 3-point shooters in the Big Ten during his career at Iowa. Sandfort made 36.6% (34-of-93) of his three-pointers as a freshman in 2021-22, 34.3% (59-of-172) of his triples as a sophomore in 2022-23, and a career-best 37.9% (94-of-248) of his three-pointers last year as a junior.
Sandfort has always been capable of getting on hot streaks and burying multiple three-pointers in a row, which was on full display in his last game as a Hawkeye, as he made a career-high eight threes again the Illini in Iowa's Big Ten Tournament defeat.
Iowa fans also no doubt remember his torrid late-game shooting in Iowa's comeback win over Michigan State in 2023.
Sandfort also adds to the lengthy history with the College 3-Point Shooting Championship that Iowa players have developed over the years. Six other Hawkeyes have competed in the event: Dean Oliver (2001), Luke Recker (2002), Jeff Horner (2006), Adam Haluska (2007), Peter Jok (2017) and Jordan Bohannon (2022).
Jok and Bohannon each won the event as well, with Jok taking home the trophy at the event in 2017 in Phoenix 2022.
Jordan Bohannon matched Jok with a championship of his own in New Orleans in 2022.
Sandfort will try to become the third Hawkeye to bring home the 3-Point crown at the event next week. The contest is set to begin at 6 PM CT at the Frost Bank Center on Thursday, April 3. ESPN will televise the event.
