Fran McCaffery: Owen Freeman is ‘playing at an incredibly high level’
Iowa men’s basketball coach Fran McCaffery meets with the media on July 15, 2024.
IOWA CITY — Preseason recognition is rolling in for Iowa basketball player Payton Sandfort.
Sandfort has been named preseason All-Big Ten, the conference announced Tuesday.
The preseason All-Big Ten team includes 10 players:
PRESEASON PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Braden Smith, Purdue
PRESEASON ALL-BIG TEN TEAM
Note: All caps indicates unanimous selection
- Ace Baldwin Jr., Penn State
- Oumar Ballo, Indiana
- Brooks Barnhizer, Northwestern
- Dawson Garcia, Minnesota
- Dylan Harper, Rutgers
- Great Osobor, Washington
- Payton Sandfort, Iowa
- Jackson Shelstad, Oregon
- BRADEN SMITH, PURDUE
- Bruce Thornton, Ohio State
Sandfort is coming off the most productive season of his college career, averaging 16.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game while shooting 37.9% from deep. All of those figures were career highs for Sandfort.
After going through the pre-NBA Draft process, including attending the combine, Sandfort elected to return to Iowa for his senior season. Being named preseason All-Big Ten is further evidence that Sandfort is considered one of the league’s best players entering the 2024-25 campaign.
Sandfort’s return to Iowa was part of a successful offseason for the Hawkeyes. Iowa was able to retain a handful of contributors from last season’s team while adding some potentially impactful newcomers.
More: Iowa men’s basketball schedule 2024-25: What is Hawkeyes’ path back to March Madness?
Big Ten Media Days is this week in Rosemont, Ill. Sandfort, reigning Big Ten co-Freshman of the Year Owen Freeman and head coach Fran McCaffery are set to represent the Hawkeyes on Thursday.
Iowa’s exhibition against Minnesota-Duluth is less than one month away. The Hawkeyes open the 2024-25 regular season against Texas A&M Commerce on Nov. 4.
How Tyler Tachman of the Des Moines Register voted
Preseason Big Ten Player of the Year: Payton Sandfort, Iowa
Preseason All-Big Ten:
- Payton Sandfort, Iowa
- Ace Baldwin Jr., Penn State
- Braden Smith, Purdue
- Ja’Kobi Gillespie, Maryland
- Brooks Barnhizer, Northwestern
- Mackenzie Mgbako, Indiana
- Owen Freeman, Iowa
- Dawson Garcia, Minnesota
- Bruce Thornton, Ohio State
- Frankie Fidler, Michigan State
Follow Tyler Tachman on X @Tyler_T15, contact via email at ttachman@gannett.com
