By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

Iowa forward Payton Sandfort announced on Tuesday that he would enter the NBA Draft process while maintaining his college eligibility.

“It has been a dream come true to represent this program and my state the past three seasons as a Hawkeye,” Sandfort said in a statement. “Every day I pushed myself to make our team as successful as possible. I have loved every second of being a Hawkeye.

“It has been my lifelong dream to get the opportunity to play in the NBA. 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.”

Sandfort has until May 29 to withdraw his name from the draft list.

Sandfort, a 6-foot-7 junior who was a third-team All-Big Ten selection, had career-best numbers this season, averaging 16.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.7 assists. He shot 44.6 percent from the floor, 37.9 percent in 3-pointers and 91.1 percent in free throws. He ranked second in the Big Ten in free-throw percentage, third in 3-point percentage, eighth in scoring, 12th in field goal percentage and 13th in rebounding.

Sandfort was one of the best shooters in the Big Ten, leading the conference with 94 3-point field goals. He made two or more 3-pointers in 27 games, three or more in 17 games and four or more 12 times.

“We fully support Payton using this opportunity to gain valuable feedback from NBA personnel through workouts and interviews,” Iowa coach Fran McCaffery said. “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.”

Photo: Iowa’s Payton Sandfort shoots in a game against Maryland earlier this season. (Daniel Kucin Jr./Icon Sportswire)