Who is Pryce Sandfort? Nebraska basketball star making March Madness debut in OKC
Nebraska basketball star Pryce Sandfort told his brother Payton he could only miss his NCAA debut if he was traveling with the NBA's OKC Thunder.
For Nebraska basketball star Pryce Sandfort , there was only one way his older brother could miss his NCAA Tournament debut: if he was traveling with an NBA team. Last year, Payton Sandfort went undrafted in the 2025 NBA Draft, but later signed with the Oklahoma City Thunder . While Payton was waived by the Thunder in October to join the team's NBA G League affiliate, the OKC Blue, he signed a two-way contract with the Thunder earlier this month.
As if the stars were aligning, Nebraska not only made it to the tournament, but was tabbed to open March Madness at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City . Unfortunately for the brothers, the Thunder is on a five-game road trip. "I'm so happy for him," Pryce said of his brother during media day Wednesday.
"I told him that's the only way he can miss this game is if he's traveling with the NBA team. " Pryce spent his first two years at Iowa, his brother's alma mater. The Hawkeyes failed to make the tournament both years he was there.
In his first March Madness appearance, he has the chance to make Nebraska program history by earning the team's first-ever NCAA Tournament win. "It's been an amazing season," Pryce said. "Our goal this season was to really flip this thing around and kind of break through, and I feel like we've done that.