Pryce Sandfort is right for Iowa men’s basketball

IOWA CITY — He’s bigger, he’s stronger. He’s playing better defense, though he always has played good defense, going back to his high school days.

He can shoot, is going to have a much bigger role for this Iowa men’s basketball team than he did as a freshman. The Pryce is right.

Sorry, not sorry for the pun.

“It’s a world of difference pretty much,” Pryce Sandfort said, after his team’s 89-67 season-opening win Monday night over Texas A&M-Commerce. “I prepared for this all offseason. I’m ready to go.”

The 6-foot-7 sophomore forward from Waukee Northwest and 2023 Iowa Mr. Basketball is the younger brother of Hawkeyes star Payton Sandfort, of course. He made a minimal impact on last year’s squad but bulked up in the offseason, put on 10 to 15 pounds of weight and muscle and was very good Monday night.

It was pretty much all career highs for him: minutes (19), points (13), rebounds (3), blocked shots (2). He was good on Iowa’s press defense in the second half, which allowed the Hawkeyes to pull away from a tight ballgame at halftime.

“Being more aggressive in practices kind of helped me regain confidence,” Sandfort said. “I just went out and displayed it. I’ve been doing it all offseason, you just have to do it in the game. Just come in and provide energy for the team. Do whatever I can to help us win. Be confident in my abilities is just the mindset.”

“I love it when he’s aggressive,” Payton Sandfort said. “It’s something I had to talk to him about last year. In practice all summer and fall he was just great ... He’s kind of a do-it-all player. I’m happy to see him out there contributing. He’s going to have a huge year.”

He needs to if Iowa is going to surpass what are modest expectations nationally.

“He’s way stronger than he was,” Iowa Coach Fran McCaffery said. “He was a skinny guy last year, got pushed around a little bit. No one is pushing him around now. He was always a guy who could play both ends. Very underrated defensive player. No one ever mentioned that when he was in high school, that he was a guy that could guard basically five positions.

“Terrific shooter, is shooting with confidence.”

Iowa hosts Southern in the second of three games in the Kenny Arnold Classic. Tipoff Thursay night is 7 p.m. (B1G+). The finale is Tuesday night at Carver-Hawkeye Arena against South Dakota.

After what should be three victories, Iowa plays Washington State in the John Deere Quad Cities Hoops Showdown, Friday, Nov. 15, in Moline, Ill.

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