Tag: Fran McCaffery

An early look at the Iowa Hawkeyes’ nonconference basketball matchups in 2022-23

A challenging nonconference slate should have the Iowa Hawkeyes ready for Big Ten play in the 2022-23 men’s college basketball season.

The 2021-22 season was a dream for Iowa up until the NCAA Tournament. Led by sophomore forward Keegan Murray, a likely 2022 NBA draft lottery pick, the Hawkeyes took home the Big Ten Tournament crown over Purdue.

Sadly, all of that momentum came to a screeching halt immediately in the first round of the tournament as 12th-seeded Richmond sent Iowa packing. Despite having one of the better seasons in recent memory for the program and delivering hardware back to Iowa City, the shame is that some will just remember the 2021-22 season for its disappointing end.

There will be some changes for the Hawkeyes heading into next year. Keegan Murray is off to the NBA and longtime starter Jordan Bohannon has graduated.

Iowa did receive a massive boost as Keegan’s twin brother, Kris Murray, announced his return. Patrick McCaffery is a capable player. If Iowa wants to improve upon its anticlimactic end to 2021-22, there are a big set of challenges already loaded up on the Hawkeyes’ nonconference 2022-23 schedule.

Let’s take a look at all of the important nonconference dates that have been finalized for Iowa below.

‘Who’s better today? Keegan’: Fran McCaffery lauds, defends Keegan Murray ahead of 2022 NBA draft

In an interview with SiriusXM NBA Radio, Fran McCaffery said he expects Keegan Murray to be drafted No. 4 overall.

In an appearance on SiriusXM NBA Radio with hosts Evan Cohen and Amin Elhassan, Iowa head men’s basketball coach Fran McCaffery went to bat for his former superstar Keegan Murray.

While he’s been widely considered a surefire 2022 NBA draft lottery pick, Murray hasn’t quite been talked about in the same light as the perceived top three entering this week’s draft. That perceived top trio includes Auburn forward Jabari Smith, Gonzaga forward Chet Holmgren and Duke forward Paolo Banchero.

Instead, Murray has typically been regarded by NBA draft analysts as part of that next wave of players one tier down. Don’t tell that to his former head coach, though.

“Well, you know, I agree with what you said about the first three, but I don’t in any way think that those guys are better than him, any one of the three of them. So, assuming you’re right, which it certainly seems like you are, I would expect him to go four, but, you know, I just don’t look at any of those three guys and say, ‘Okay, that guy’s better than Keegan.’ No, they’re not,” McCaffery said in his appearance on SiriusXM NBA Radio.

The hosts followed up by noting that there’s a difference between saying a player is better than Murray versus one of the perceived top three making more sense as an NBA franchise looks to build for its longterm future.

McCaffery was then asked if he could understand an NBA team drafting any of that perceived top three over Murray, while also not directly meaning that an NBA team thinks that player is better than Murray today.

“I think that’s a fair question, okay, because like, you know, I think, especially with Chet (Holmgren), okay, you look at him and say, ‘I get it, alright.’ You know, he could be a generational talent with Kevin Durant’s size and shooting ability, and really good feel and he’s a rim protector.

“You know, obviously, the only question with him has always been his body. You see, I’ve been watching that kid…I mean, we recruited him hard, so I watched him as a sophomore, as a freshman in high school. So, the answer to that question, yeah, do I get him? Yeah, I get him. Who’s better today? Keegan. You know, so, you could say, ‘Okay, well, maybe he’s better tomorrow, too.’ He’s better today. He’s got a chance to be better tomorrow,” McCaffery said.

Nobody can blame McCaffery for going to bat for Murray as arguably the top player in this 2022 NBA draft and as a player that should be garnering the same type of attention heading into draft night that Smith, Holmgren and Banchero have enjoyed. After all, Murray just finished a season where he averaged the most points by a Power Five player at 23.5 points per game.

The 6-foot-8, 225 pound forward did a little bit of everything for the Hawkeyes last season and is described by a number of basketball analysts as the most “NBA-ready” player in this year’s draft. ESPN analyst Jay Bilas said as much recently.

“The player that is most NBA-ready, who you can plug in right now, is Keegan Murray. He is an incredibly smart player. Keegan is mature enough to step into the NBA and perform at a high level right away,” Bilas said.

Murray also just polished off a season where he averaged the second-most rebounds per game by a Big Ten player with 8.7 boards per night and he shot 39.8% from 3-point range. Mix that offensive package in with the ability to defend the one through four positions comfortably at the next level and someone is getting a heck of a talent.

It will certainly be interesting to see how it all plays out for Murray on Thursday night. The top five in the 2022 NBA draft order looks like this: No. 1 overall is the Orlando Magic, the Oklahoma City Thunder have the No. 2 pick, the Houston Rockets have pick No. 3, the Sacramento Kings own pick No. 4 and the Detroit Pistons have pick No. 5.

[listicle id=4926]

Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Josh on Twitter: @JoshOnREF

Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

Iowa Hawkeyes offer 2023 point guard Brock Harding

Brock Harding, a 2023 point guard out of Moline High School in Illinois, picked up his first major offer from the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Thanks to an impressive showing on the AAU circuit with MidPro Academy and perhaps also some urging from Iowa’s lone 2023 commit, Moline High School point guard Brock Harding picked up an offer from the Iowa Hawkeyes.

The 6-foot, 155 pound point guard is rated as a three-star recruit, the nation’s No. 33 point guard and the No. 7 player from Illinois by 247Sports. Harding is teammates with Iowa commit Owen Freeman, who is also rated as a three-star prospect, the nation’s No. 134 player overall, the No. 30 power forward and the No. 3 player from Illinois by 247Sports.

The Iowa offer is the first high-major offer for Harding. He also has offers from Appalachian State, Bradley, Cal Poly, Colorado State, Drake, Eastern Illinois, Illinois State, Illinois-Chicago, IPFW, Loyola (Chi.), Radford, Rice, Saint Louis, Southeast Missouri State, Southern Illinois and Western Illinois.

As HawkeyeInsider’s Sean Bock noted, it’s a substantial offer for Harding in part because it comes after Iowa’s primary recruiter for Harding left the program.

That would have been longtime Iowa assistant men’s basketball coach Kirk Speraw. After Speraw’s retirement, the Hawkeyes turned over Harding’s recruitment to new assistant men’s basketball coach Matt Gatens.

“When Speraw saw me in the winter, he liked that I could pass, dribble, and shoot. He liked that I was under control with the ball. I was quick, but never too quick, where I couldn’t control myself. I did a great job of controlling the game, talking, and being the true point guard. That’s something that they wanted whether it be me or someone else in a different class. That’s something they think they could see me doing there,” Harding told HawkeyeInsider.

Suffice it to say that Gatens and Iowa still really liked what they saw. Now, time will tell whether or not Harding will follow Freeman’s footsteps in committing to the Hawkeyes.

One thing is for certain: Harding understands how he would fit in with Iowa and thinks it would be a good match.

“I like that they have five guys on the court that can score at all times. They play up and down and get shots up. That’s somewhere where I can really affect the game is going up and down, and not just playing the half-court game. I’m really good in the full court with creating stuff for myself and others, and I feel like they do that with all five guys,” Harding said to HawkeyeInsider.

Here’s a look at Harding’s Hudl highlights as well as his full recruiting profile.

5 things to know after Iowa basketball hires Matt Gatens as assistant coach

Here’s five things to know about a familiar face in new Iowa men’s basketball assistant coach Matt Gatens.

After a pair of changes with his assistant coaching staff this offseason, Iowa head men’s basketball coach Fran McCaffery has officially filled out his coaching staff with the addition of former Drake assistant Matt Gatens.

Let’s take a look at five things fans should know about Gatens entering his stint as one of Iowa’s new assistant coaches.

Best photos of former Hawkeye, new Iowa basketball assistant coach Matt Gatens

Iowa announced Matt Gatens as its newest assistant coach. Take a look back at his time with the Hawkeyes with these stunning still photos.

Iowa has its newest assistant coach and it’s a familiar face. Iowa head men’s basketball coach Fran McCaffery tabbed Matt Gatens as the Hawkeyes’ second new assistant coach, filling the void left by former longtime assistant Kirk Speraw’s decision to retire.

McCaffery and Iowa also recently elevated Courtney Eldridge after Billy Taylor left to become the new head men’s basketball coach at Elon University.

Gatens was a four-year starter for Iowa during the 2009-12 seasons and his final two seasons coincided with the first two years of McCaffery’s tenure in Iowa City. McCaffery raved about the latest addition to his coaching staff.

“We are excited to have Matt Gatens rejoin our program as an assistant coach. Matt was a respected leader on my first two teams as Iowa’s head coach. I could tell right away that he exhibited all the necessary attributes to be a successful coach. Since transitioning to the coaching profession, Matt has gained valuable experience working on the staffs at Auburn and Drake. He will have an immediate impact on our program,” McCaffery said.

Gatens spent the past four seasons with the Drake Bulldogs. The first two he served as the program’s director of operations and then each of the past two seasons he was one of the Bulldogs’ assistant coaches.

Take a look back at Gatens playing career with the Hawkeyes through these stunning still photos.

Iowa reportedly set to square off against Duke in the 2022 Jimmy V Classic

Iowa will meet the Duke Blue Devils in the 2022 Jimmy V Classic. Here’s a look at the all-time series history and Duke’s projected starters.

The start of Iowa’s 2022-23 men’s basketball season is still every bit of five months away. Still, the Hawkeyes just received fantastic news with the return of forward Kris Murray to Iowa City.

Paired with several other decisions by Iowa players to either return or exit via the transfer portal, fans now have a pretty clear idea of what the Hawkeyes’ starting five and key reserves will look like entering next season.

Now, Iowa fans know they can book flights and start planning a trip to New York City for a battle against a blue blood.

CBS Sports and College Hoops Today’s Jon Rothstein reported that Iowa is set to meet the Duke Blue Devils in the 2022 Jimmy V Classic from historic Madison Square Garden. Rothstein also reported that the other game in the event is expected to feature the Texas Longhorns against the Illinois Fighting Illini.

Duke is one of the pillar programs in all of college basketball and will enter next season fresh off the Blue Devils’ 17th all-time appearance in the Final Four. Of course, legendary head coach Mike Krzyewski’s 13th and final Final Four appearance ended with the Blue Devils’ archrivals in the North Carolina Tar Heels sending Duke packing, 81-77.

The Kansas Jayhawks would go on to win the national championship over North Carolina, erasing a 16-point deficit in a historic second-half flurry for the largest title game comeback in NCAA Tournament history, topping the Tar Heels, 72-69.

In its history, Iowa has met up with Duke on eight different occasions. The Blue Devils lead the all-time series 7-1. The Hawkeyes and Blue Devils last played on Nov. 27, 2001, in the Big Ten-ACC Challenge. It was not to be from the jump for an Iowa team led by guard Luke Recker and forward Reggie Evans.

Duke point guard Jason Williams scored 25 points, center Carlos Boozer added 22 and forward Mike Dunleavy chipped in with 18. The then-No. 1 and defending national champion Blue Devils routed Iowa, 80-62, inside the United Center.

Duke is set to replace some serious star power from last season’s Final Four team, but the Blue Devils have reloaded their roster with some serious talent. Here’s a look at the all-time series matchups between Iowa and Duke and a look at the Blue Devils’ projected starting five.

Forward Kris Murray announces return to the Iowa Hawkeyes men’s basketball team

Iowa received big news for the 2022-23 men’s college basketball season as forward Kris Murray announced his return to the Hawkeyes.

Forward Kris Murray announced on Wednesday that he is officially returning to the Iowa Hawkeyes for the 2022-23 men’s college basketball season. It puts to rest any uncertainty about his immediate future with the Hawkeyes.

That was called into question after the 6-foot-8, 225 pound forward filed for early entry into the 2022 NBA draft on April 14. It looked and felt like a good sign for Iowa when Murray declined his invitation to the 2022 NBA draft combine in early May, but the door was still open for Murray to potentially try his hand professionally.

Now, Murray is officially back in the fold for Iowa for the 2022-23 season.

“These past two months have been a tremendous learning process for me. By going through the NBA Draft process, I believe that it will help me in the long run and this upcoming season at Iowa. I can’t wait to get back to work with my teammates and coaches to play for the best fan base in the world! Go Hawks,” Murray said in his social media announcement.

Naturally, Iowa head men’s basketball coach Fran McCaffery voiced his excitement about Murray electing to return to Iowa City.

“Everyone in our program is very excited to have Kris back. We are happy that Kris had a positive experience going through the NBA process. He gained valuable feedback through workouts and conversations with NBA personnel. Kris will be awesome next year,” McCaffery said.

Murray’s decision means that the Hawkeyes now return both its leading scorer and rebounder off the bench. Murray 9.7 points and 4.3 rebounds per game also ranked fourth and third overall for Iowa last season.

The Cedar Rapids, Iowa, product also registered 31 blocks and 43 made 3-pointers for the Hawkeyes last year on 38.7% 3-point field goal shooting. Murray connected on at least one 3-pointer in a team-best 17 consecutive games from Jan. 22 through March 13, had multiple steals in 10 games and multiple blocks in nine contests.

Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Josh on Twitter: @JoshOnREF

Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

Kris Murray declines 2022 NBA draft combine invitation

Iowa forward Kris Murray declined his invitation to the 2022 NBA draft combine. Does that mean he’s coming back to Iowa City?

Iowa forward Kris Murray might have surprised some Hawkeye fans when he announced on April 14 that he had submitted papers for early entry into the 2022 NBA draft.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to be able to play the game I love every day and to wear the Black and Gold. I will be taking this opportunity to enter my name into the 2022 NBA draft while maintaining my college eligibility. My focus is being able to grow as a player in every way possible.

“The opportunity to get feedback and the experience working out for NBA teams will help me become the best player I can possibly be and take my game to the next level. I have big plans for next year and this experience will help me do that. I appreciate everyone’s support,” Murray said at the time.

The 6-foot-8, 225 pound forward didn’t sign with an agent, retaining his NCAA eligibility if he chooses to withdraw his name on or before June 1. Now, it appears like he may be one step closer to returning to Iowa City.

According to Hawk Central’s Kennington Lloyd Smith, Murray declined his invitation to the 2022 NBA draft combine set for May 18-20 from Wintrust Arena and the Marriott Marquis in Chicago.

While that certainly appears to be good news in terms of a Murray return to Iowa City, his father, Kenyon Murray, said Kris’ decision-making process on whether or not to return to Iowa is still ongoing.

In an interview with Hawk Central on Wednesday morning, Kenyon Murray said Kris is “still in the draft process” and his decision to remain in the draft or return to Iowa will likely run its full course until the June 1 deadline.

Several NBA teams have expressed interest to Kris and there’s the possibility for invitations for individual workouts. Therefore, he’s not shutting the door on those opportunities and the chance to pique a team’s interest in a private session. – Lloyd Smith, Hawk Central.

Kenyon Murray also joined hosts Pat Harty and Tom Suter of HawkFanatic on KCJJ radio to further discuss Kris’ situation and decision-making process.

“He just wants all of the information that he can get. I think the day in, day out workouts against that kind of level of competition has really, really helped him. His confidence is sky high and I think he’s in a good situation either way,” Kenyon Murray said to KCJJ radio.

It makes sense that Kris wants to gather all of the information that he can before he makes a final decision. Kenyon said there’s a good chance Kris’ final decision doesn’t come until close to the June 1 deadline.

“I think in the end it comes down to where Kris is comfortable. Does he want to come back and become a potential All-Big Ten, All-American and playing alongside the guys coming back and possibly win another Big Ten title or does he like what he hears from an NBA team? It’s probably going up to the deadline of June 1,” Kenyon Murray said to KCJJ radio.

Listening to his father, Kris’ game has only gotten better since the 2021-22 men’s college basketball season’s end. With that in mind, the sky is the limit for what Kris could accomplish in Iowa City next season if he so chooses.

Kenyon Murray discussed what the next evolution in Kris’ game would look like if he’s back in Iowa City.

“You’re going to get a kid that can definitely score at all three levels. You know, obviously, he’s got to finish better in the paint. That’s one of the things we talked about throughout the year, but he’s not going to be the same player as Keegan (Murray). You know, Keegan can post up and those kind of things.

“Not saying Kris can’t, but he has always been kind of a face the basket, you know, get to his spots, create for other people, so I think you’re going to see someone who can definitely play from the post but I think he’s going to be deadlier from the perimeter. Whether it’s with his passing, his dribble penetration. He’ll cut without the ball like Keegan did and obviously shoot the jump shot. I think you’re going to see just a more well-rounded version of Kris being able to score at all three levels,” Kenyon Murray said on KCJJ radio.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01fvdcxf97xrgg1awc player_id=none image=https://hawkeyeswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Josh on Twitter: @JoshOnREF

Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

For The Win mocks Hawkeyes’ Keegan Murray No. 6 overall in the 2022 NBA draft

In For The Win’s latest 2022 NBA mock draft, Bryan Kalbrosky has the Portland Trailblazers drafting Keegan Murray No. 6 overall.

The Iowa Hawkeyes look to be on the verge of having a player drafted in the first round of the NBA draft for the first time since 1998 when Ricky Davis was selected 21st overall by the Charlotte Hornets. The last Hawkeye to go in the top ten was Ronnie Lester to the Portland Trail Blazers in the 1980 NBA draft.

Many draft analysts see both of those trends finally coming to a close after star forward Keegan Murray hears his name called in the 2022 NBA draft. In his latest pre-combine and pre-NBA draft lottery forecast, For The Win’s Bryan Kalbrosky slotted Murray sixth overall to the Portland Trailblazers.

Iowa’s Keegan Murray is one of this draft class’s best, most well-rounded prospects. While I’m not sure he projects as someone with star potential in the NBA, he has the makings of an instantaneous contributor on both sides of the ball.

He isn’t going to carry an NBA offense, but he rarely makes mistakes when he is on the floor, and he was the nation’s leader in field goals made at the rim last year. Murray is the only college player on record to make 60 dunks and 60 3-pointers in the same season. Even when lowering that threshold to 45, no other player in a high-major conference has accomplished that in the past decade. – Kalbrosky, For The Win.

Murray is seen by Kalbrosky as a player who may not be a franchise-altering star, but as one of the safest picks in the entire draft. The 6-foot-8, 225 pound forward has an extremely well-rounded game. Murray led the Hawkeyes and all Power Five players with 23.5 points per game. The Cedar Rapids, Iowa, product also finished second in the Big Ten in rebounding, grabbing 8.7 boards per contest. Murray also averaged 1.9 blocks per game. He was named first-team All-Big Ten this past year and was a consensus All-American.

Until the Trail Blazers trade Damian Lillard, they are effectively in win-now mode. Anfernee Simons is a very good second option who can shoot the lights out, and Josh Hart took his game to another level albeit in a small 13-game sample size in Portland. Adding a player like Murray who can contribute on day one makes a ton of sense for Portland.

The top five selections in Kalbrosky’s mock draft looked like this: Duke’s Paolo Banchero No. 1 overall to the Houston Rockets, Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren No. 2 to the Orlando Magic, Auburn‘s Jabari Smith No. 3 to the Detroit Pistons, Kentucky’s Shaedon Sharpe No. 4 to the Oklahoma City Thunder and Purdue’s Jaden Ivey No. 5 to the Indiana Pacers.

Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Jacob on Twitter: @Jacobkeppen

Let us know your thoughts, and comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

Josh Ogundele returning to Iowa Hawkeyes men’s basketball team after portal flirtation

The Iowa Hawkeyes men’s basketball team will have big man Josh Ogundele returning to Iowa City after exploring the transfer portal.

The Iowa Hawkeyes men’s basketball team received news today that center and forward [autotag]Josh Ogundele[/autotag] is returning to Iowa City after previously exploring the transfer portal. Per his own Twitter feed, Ogundele announced the return to Iowa.

With two other former Iowa players having also entered the portal, Ogundele’s return gives the Hawkeyes a presence in the paint that they could continue to develop with time.

Iowa head men’s basketball coach [autotag]Fran McCaffrey[/autotag] recruited Ogundele after he moved from London, England, to the United States at the age of 16.

Ogundele, who appeared in 19 games during the 2021-22 campaign, averaged just over five minutes off the bench in spot minutes for the Hawkeyes. Ogundele finished last season averaging 1.5 points and 1.3 rebounds per game. His best minutes came for Iowa on their run to the Big Ten Tournament title.

During the conference tournament, Ogundele provided much-needed minutes against Purdue’s duo of Zach Edey and Trevion Williams. He plugged in and was able to thwart the Boilermakers’ big men in the paint.

Hawkeye fans may also recall Ogundele filling in nicely for [autotag]Keegan Murray[/autotag] on the road against Purdue where he posted career highs in minutes, points, blocks and rebounds.

Iowa lost point guard Joe Toussaint earlier this offseason when he entered the transfer portal. Toussaint announced his decision to join the West Virginia Mountaineers a few weeks ago. Guard Austin Ash also entered the transfer portal.

Ogundele joins sixth-year senior Connor McCaffery as individuals who were unsure to return after the unfortunate first round NCAA Tournament exit to the Richmond Spiders. These two returning puts the Hawkeyes at a 12-man roster per their official team website.

Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Riley on Twitter: @rileydonald7

Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.