OKLAHOMA CITY — Early Thursday, a multitude of Nebraska supporters converged upon the Paycom Center, harboring aspirations of witnessing the Huskers secure their inaugural NCAA tournament victory. Yet, a mere ten minutes prior to the game’s commencement, Pryce Sandfort, the junior forward, encountered an unexpected individual: his sibling.
Barely half a day prior, Payton Sandfort had been in New York City, sharing a meal post-game with the Oklahoma City Thunder, subsequent to his inaugural appearance in the NBA, following the Thunder’s decisive 121-92 triumph over the Brooklyn Nets.
Nevertheless, Payton, a first-year forward who had recently secured a two-way agreement with the Thunder that same month, took a taxi at 3 a.m. and boarded a flight at 6 a.m., intending to spring a surprise on his junior sibling ahead of Nebraska’s game commencement at 11:40 a.m. local time, which, by chance, was held on his own team’s home arena.
“He had been deceiving me throughout the entire week,” Pryce chuckled, stating, having amassed 23 points from seven three-point shots and two successful free throws during Nebraska’s landmark 76-47 victory over Troy. “He informed me he wouldn’t be able to attend, thus I’ve been relaying that information to everyone.”
Payton not only marked his inaugural NBA appearance on Wednesday evening, but he moreover registered his initial points — appropriately with a three-point shot.
Prior to Pryce’s relocation to Nebraska, he and Payton had competed side-by-side for two academic years at Iowa.
“He scored his initial points just last night, and subsequently made an appearance at this contest,” Pryce remarked. “Witnessing him there felt surreal.
“The backing we received — not only from my family but from the entire assembly of spectators — was immense. This likely constituted the finest atmosphere I’ve ever experienced during a game, whether on home ground, at a neutral venue, or away, and it was genuinely extraordinary. Our cohort of devotees is simply phenomenal, and their numbers are vast.”