Keegan Murray

Murray, who was the first Big Ten player selected tonight, becomes the 57th Iowa men's basketball player to be selected in an NBA Draft, and the 22nd Hawkeye to ...

The Cedar Rapids, Iowa, native tallied 20+ points 26 times and 25+ points 16 times as a sophomore, both of which ranked first nationally. Murray, a sophomore, is the fifth Hawkeye to be drafted under head coach Fran McCaffery. Roy Devyn Marble (Orlando) and Aaron White (Washington) were drafted in 2014 and 2015, respectively. Murray (6-foot-8, 225 pounds) had a breakout sophomore campaign earning consensus first-team All-America honors as well as being a unanimous first-team All-Big Ten honoree. Murray totaled 822 points, 303 rebounds, 68 blocks, 66 3-point field goals, 52 assists, and 45 steals last season. Murray is the third Hawkeye to be drafted in the last two seasons. Luka Garza (Detroit) and Joe Wieskamp (San Antonio) were picked in 2021.

Murray joins a Kings roster that features De'Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis, Davion Mitchell, Harrison Barnes, Richaun Holmes and Donte DiVincenzo. The 6-foot-8 ...

"Murray was the most productive player in college basketball, becoming the first player since Glen Rice in 1989 to average over 23 points per game, shooting over 60% from 2 and 39% from 3. He also fits a position and role every NBA team is looking for as a big wing who can operate as an ultra-versatile power forward or slide up as a small-ball center, which he did with great success at Iowa. Jumbo lineups with Murray at small forward are also a distinct possibility in the NBA, as he shows the ability to cover ground effectively in space, was often utilized at the top of Iowa's press and shows strong instincts as a shot-blocker as well." Vivek Ranadive likely is thrilled with the selection of Murray, as The Athletic's Zach Harper reported this week that the Kings' owner is a "big fan" of the 21-year-old.

Keegan Murray talks with reporters during the NBA basketball draft combine in Chicago on May 19, 2022. Charles Rex Arbogast AP. Keegan Murray's path to the ...

“The nation’s leader in points and the third-highest defensive efficiency rating in the Big Ten. He’ll be a good addition to the Kings as someone who can fill any role without ego. So it was like another year for my body to grow and not have a year of college eligibility taken off.” I didn’t want to go because it was down in Florida and I felt like it was the same opportunity that I would have had with JUCO. So my dad ended up convincing me that this is probably the best decision to have another year to grow up because I was a late bloomer. Murray was named a consensus first-team All-American. Some Kings fans loved the pick of the 6-foot-8 forward from the University of Iowa, while others weren’t the biggest fan of it. Murray, 21, was selected by the Sacramento Kings with the No. 4 pick in the NBA draft on Thursday night.

Just call him Keegan "history-maker" Murray now. On the heels of one of the greatest single seasons in the history of Iowa basketball, Keegan Murray is now ...

While we won't get to watch Keegan light it up in black and gold any more, we're excited to see what he can do in the NBA ranks. And by the end of the season he was a no-doubter All-Big Ten player and a consensus All-American. And now he's a Top 5 selection and the highest-drafted Hawkeye ever. But it's been a hell of a lot of fun to watch. He saved some of his greatest performances for the Big Ten Tournament, helping guide Iowa to a tournament championship. He kept up his torrid pace of productivity even as the season ground on and the competition got harder and harder. Murray is the first Iowa player taken in the first round since Ricky Davis was selected by the Charlotte Hornets with the 21st overall pick in 1998.

Keegan Murray is the highest-drafted Iowa basketball player in the common draft. Here's why he will make an immediate impact for the Kings.

"It was really just becoming more creative with the ball in my hands," Murray said to Hawk Central last week. He ended the 2021-22 season as the nation's leader in points (822) and fourth nationally in points per game (23.6), and that number is the highest among power conference players. Murray spent the pre-draft process refining two areas of his game: shooting with consistency and ball-handling. "The player (in the NBA Draft) that is most NBA-ready, who you can plug in right now, is Keegan Murray," Bilas said on ESPN's SportsCenter this week. On Thursday night, Keegan Murray joined a rare class of former Iowa basketball players as a top-10 pick in the NBA Draft when Sacramento picked him No. 4 overall. Last season at Iowa, he emerged as perhaps the best two-way player in college basketball.

Sacramento adds some much-needed wing help in the form of Iowa forward Keegan Murray.

Murray has often been considered one of the most “NBA-ready” prospects in the draft, which likely factored into Sacramento’s calculus with this pick. At 22-years-old, to start the 2022-23 season, a lot of experts have questioned how much room for growth Murray has in his game. Murray is a good fit alongside Domantas Sabonis in the frontcourt, with his shooting and defense, two skills Sacramento lacks roster-wide.

Keegan Murray is Iowa's highest draft pick of all time, passing Fred Brown, selected No. 6 overall in 1971.

Throughout the draft process, Murray was considered a top-five prospect by the majority of draft experts. Murray, 21, is the oldest of the potential lottery selections in Thursday's draft. On Thursday night, the Keegan Murray story added a historic chapter.

The Kings did the unexpected in the 2022 NBA Draft and that usually doesn't end well in Sacramento. Sacramento took Keegan Murray at No.

Murray has tremendous potential and averaged 23.5 points per game at Iowa last season. The Kings were heavily favored to either draft Purdue’s Jaden Ivey among multiple projected NBA Draft boards, or trade their pick away. The Kings did the unexpected in the 2022 NBA Draft and that usually doesn’t end well in Sacramento.

No more late nights stressing about if the Sacramento Kings trade their pick, or who they will select if they keep it. They kept it, and used it to select ...

Murray will be the Kings third scoring option and can garner a lot of points in this manner. This season, with a new head coach and a talented roster, the pressure will be on for them to end their playoff drought. On the offensive end, Murray can help create space on the floor with efficient shooting from deep, but also has a knack for attacking the basket. Great fit as a finisher on offense next to creators like De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis in the Kings frontcourt.— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) They kept it, and used it to select forward Keegan Murray from Iowa. Winner of the Karl Malone Award (2022), consensus first-team All-American (2022), and Big Ten Tournament MVP (2022). Murray will fit nicely alongside Domantas Sabonis in the frontcourt.

Before either Murray brother played in a game at DME, Iowa coach Fran McCaffery offered them both scholarships. It was their only major offer, and they both ...

“That’s kind of the mentality you have to have in this process, because he knows he’ll be a pretty high pick.” I feel like I’m a guy that can space the floor. And I just credit that to my parents putting me in the best position possible to succeed and my brother pushing me in our battles, one-on-one, things like that. Murray was the only player nationally to average more than 23 points and eight rebounds in 2022, and he set a Big Ten tournament record with 103 points and 38 field goals in March. The Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award winner, the 6-foot-8 Murray compiled 822 points (23.5 per game), 303 rebounds, 68 blocks, 66 3-point field goals, 52 assists and 45 steals. In his first season at Iowa, he developed into a secondary scoring option and solid defender alongside NBA selections Luka Garza and Joe Wieskamp. Last year, Murray knew it was his turn to become Iowa’s focal point on offense. His scoring average jumped from 7.2 points to 23.5 (16.3 points), the largest points-per-game increase by a Big Ten player in 49 years. We can go to him or we cannot go to him and he just finds a way. “I feel like for me early on, I’ll be a guy that will do whatever is necessary for our team’s success and just kind of fill that. “He just stays the course. Murray’s 822 points last season were the single-season record at Iowa and rank seventh in Big Ten history. It became the best basketball bet of McCaffery’s coaching life. Before either Murray brother played in a game at DME, Iowa coach Fran McCaffery offered them both scholarships.