Iowa fans were holding out hope that sophomore standout Keegan Murray would elect to return to Iowa City. Instead, the 6-foot-8, 225 pound forward made the decision that was expected and announced his intentions to enter the 2022 NBA draft back on March 29.
In the weeks since, it’s become more apparent that Murray has lottery pick money in his near future and that’s simply too good to pass up. A pair of recent draft projections from For The Win and USA TODAY Sports have Murray being selected No. 6 overall by the Sacramento Kings and the Portland Trailblazers, respectively.
Murray landing as a lottery pick seems to be the consensus and those two outlets aren’t alone in forecasting that. CBS Sports’ Kyle Boone released his latest 2022 NBA mock draft now that the college season has concluded and he has Murray climbing his draft board. In fact, Boone has Murray all the way into the top five selections with the Indiana Pacers taking the Cedar Rapids, Iowa, product at No. 5 overall.
Keegan Murray was so, so good to end the season for Iowa. Just how good, you ask? He set a Big Ten Tournament record with 103 points in leading the Hawkeyes to four wins in four days and capturing the league’s crown. That good. His scoring threat from anywhere on the court coupled with his defensive chops around the paint could easily put him at No. 5 in a draft where there’s not a consensus No. 5 beyond the big four of Holmgren, Ivey, Smith and Banchero. – Boone, CBS Sports.
If that pick comes to fruition, it will put an exclamation point on a rise to stardom unlike any in recent memory. Murray had the largest scoring average increase by a Big Ten player with a 16.3 points per game increase since Illinois’ Rick Schmidt upped his average from the previous season by 17.6 points per game in the 1973-74 season.
Murray demonstrated his versatility both offensively and defensively during the 2021-22 season. He joined Texas’ Kevin Durant as only the second Division I player to amass more than 800 points, 60 blocks, and 60 3-pointers in a single season. Murray’s 822 total points led the nation and his 23.5 points per game finished No. 4 nationally. That scoring mark was tops among power-five players. Murray also finished second in the Big Ten with 8.7 rebounds per game.
The Indiana Pacers finished the 2021-22 NBA regular season with a record of 25-57. It was the franchise’s worst record since the 1988-89 regular season. While the outlook may seem bleak at any lottery destination, Indiana has a history of being competitive and Murray is the type of selection that could jumpstart a quick rebuild.
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