Iowa men’s basketball third-year Payton Sandfort has submitted paperwork for early entry into the 2024 NBA draft while maintaining his college eligibility, he announced on Instagram.

He was recently projected by ESPN as the No. 35 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.

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​​“It has been my lifelong dream to get the opportunity to play in the NBA, Sandfort said. “I plan to enter my name into the 2024 NBA Draft while maintaining my eligibility. I will continue to push myself every day to make this dream a reality. I appreciate the support from Hawkeye nation as I go through this process.”

He has until May 29 to stay in or remove his name from the draft. 

The 6-foot-7 forward averaged career-highs in all major statistical categories with 16.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks per game while shooting 44.6 percent from the field, 37.9 percent from three, and 91.1 percent from the free throw line over 34 games during the 2023-24 season. 

Sandfort’s play began to soar through the second half of the 2023-24 season, averaging 19.5 points through the last 15 games, including the first triple-double in program history with 26 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists along with three blocks against Penn State on Feb. 27. 

He was named Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year for the 2022-23 season and earned Third-Team All-Big Ten honors this past season. He led the Big Ten and was within the top 40 in the nation with 94 three-point field goals made in 2023-24. 

“We fully support Payton using this opportunity to gain valuable feedback from NBA personnel through workouts and interviews,” Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery said of Sandfort’s NBA plans. “Payton is one of the best shooters in the nation and he displayed an all-around game during his junior season.  He will go through this process with a professional approach, and we are excited to see his game continue to grow to another level.”