Tag: Jordan Bohannon

Iowa guard Payton Sandfort pegged for breakout season by CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein

CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein feels Payton Sandfort can emerge as one of Iowa men’s basketball’s best players in the 2022-23 season.

Is there a young Iowa guard flying under the radar?

While, yes, most of the attention for next year’s men’s basketball team is firmly placed on Kris Murray, CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein tweeted out about another potential breakout star for the Hawkeyes.

That breakout candidate is sophomore-to-be Payton Sandfort. The 6-foot-7 wing out of Waukee High School in Iowa earned praise from Rothstein following an inaugural campaign where he averaged five points and 1.9 rebounds per game in just 10.5 minutes of average floor time.

As demonstrated by Rothstein, Sandfort didn’t play a ton of minutes in the 2021-22 season. When on the court for extended periods of time, he looked like a guy Iowa could count on in the future. As Rothstein noted, Sandfort averaged 11.7 points per game in contests where he logged 15 or more minutes of floor time.

Hawkeye fans saw early in the season Sandfort’s potential against some tuneup opponents in early November. Sandfort scored a career-high 21 points against SWAC opponent Alabama State. He then dropped 19 the following game against Western Michigan, sinking five of his seven 3-point attempts.

His performance under the bright lights of the Big Ten Tournament was encouraging as well. In his 15 minutes of action against Northwestern in the tournament’s opening round, Sandfort scored 13 points and added three buckets from long range. Against Purdue in the conference championship game, he scored 10 points off the bench and didn’t miss a single shot.

There is a lot of hope for a big sophomore breakout from Sandfort this upcoming year, and it would really boost Iowa’s chances of repeating as Big Ten Tournament champions. Iowa lost some key contributors this offseason. Recent No. 4 overall 2023 NBA draft selection Keegan Murray is the obvious one, but Jordan Bohannon started for about a half-decade.

The hope is that Kris Murray can follow in the footsteps of his twin brother, Patrick McCaffery can live up to some of the preseason love he’s garnered and then Iowa can find production in other places as well.

Sandfort showed a lot of potential as a shooter coming off the bench his freshman year, and those key performances in the Big Ten Tournament are very exciting. If he can take his game to another level, his partnership with Murray alongside a returning Patrick McCaffrey and Filip Rebraca could take Iowa back into the 2023 NCAA Tournament.

[listicle id=4931]

[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 Jacob on Twitter: @Jacobkeppen

Let us know your thoughts, and 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.

Iowa at No. 15 in 247Sports’ way-too-early men’s college hoops ranking

247Sports’ Kevin Flaherty ranked Iowa No. 15 in his latest way-too-early men’s college basketball rankings.

It is never too early to start looking toward the next men’s college basketball season. With the May 1 deadline for transfers to inform their school of their intention to transfer in the rearview mirror, analysts are now better enabled to get a read on next year’s rosters. 247Sports’ Kevin Flaherty published his way-too-early rankings for 2022-23 and had Iowa coming in at No. 15.

Kris Murray is testing the NBA draft waters, but he looks likely to return to Iowa City for another season, and likely to ascend to stardom. Murray following in his brother Keegan’s footsteps and becoming an All-Big Ten force wouldn’t be a surprise. Add in Patrick McCaffery, Filip Rebraca and Tony Perkins, and more time for Ahron Ulis and Payton Sandfort, and the Hawkeyes could enter March with another top-five seed. – Flaherty, 247Sports.

Iowa is Flaherty’s second-highest ranked Big Ten program behind No. 13 Michigan. Of course, the Wolverines are fresh off a Sweet 16 appearance in the 2022 NCAA Tournament. After the Hawkeyes and Wolverines, No. 20 Illinois, No. 22 Indiana and No. 23 Michigan State round out the Big Ten teams appearing in the rankings.

Last season Iowa went on a historic Big Ten Tournament championship run, finishing the season as the No. 21 team in the nation after bowing out of the first round of the NCAA Tournament with a loss to 12th-seeded Richmond, 67-63.

Iowa may have a tough road back to the Big Ten Tournament championship. Star forward [autotag]Keegan Murray[/autotag] is off to the NBA as a potential top-ten pick in the 2022 NBA draft and second-leading scorer and longtime starter [autotag]Jordan Bohannon[/autotag] exhausted his eligibility.

[autotag]Kris Murray[/autotag] will be the X-factor of the offseason. His return would be massive for a Hawkeyes team searching for their next star. While he declared for the draft, the door is still open for the junior forward to return to Iowa for the upcoming season. The deadline for Murray to remove his name and retain his NCAA eligibility is June 1.

Murray’s game progressed in his second season, showing some potential star power coming off the bench. In fact, Kris averaged Iowa’s team-high off the bench at 9.7 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. With a full-time role, look out for Kris to emerge as a top Big Ten star just like his twin brother Keegan did this past year.

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.

Connor McCaffery announces return to Iowa Hawkeyes

After sharing the Chris Street Award with teammate Keegan Murray, Connor McCaffery announced his intention to return to Iowa.

After a series of departures to the 2022 NBA draft, graduation and the transfer portal, the Iowa men’s basketball team got some good news. Redshirt senior guard [autotag]Connor McCaffery[/autotag] announced his intentions to return to the Hawkeyes and make use of his sixth season of eligibility.

After being named co-winner of the Chris Street Award alongside teammate [autotag]Keegan Murray[/autotag] at Iowa’s team awards ceremony, McCaffery grabbed the mic and delivered a message.

“Last night, I sat down thinking of what I was going to say for my senior speech. So, then I thought, ‘You know what? I’ll wait to do it next year,'” McCaffery said.

McCaffery averaged 2.5 points and 1.9 assists per game this past season for Iowa. The 6-foot-5 guard connected on 33.8% of his 3-point tries and dished out three or more assists in 11 contests during the 2021-22 season. McCaffery had a big month of February where he made 12-of-19 3-pointers.

In fact, he knocked down 11-of-15 in the final four games of the month at Ohio State, versus Michigan State, at Nebraska and versus Northwestern. That Northwestern performance on Feb. 28 included McCaffery’s season-high 17 points and a career-best five 3-pointers.

With McCaffery’s decision to return, the outlook for the Hawkeyes in 2022-23 is a little clearer. Connor’s younger brother and one of Iowa’s best players returns in Patrick McCaffery. Patrick averaged 10.5 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game this past season. Guards Tony Perkins, Payton Sandfort and Ahron Ulis are all returning. Forward Filip Rebraca is as well. Perkins, Sandfort and Ulis averaged 7.4, 5.0 and 3.1 points per game, respectively. Rebraca added 5.8 points and 5.6 rebounds per game.

The Hawkeyes are still waiting on sophomore forward [autotag]Kris Murray[/autotag]’s final decision. After averaging 9.7 points and 4.3 rebounds per game, Murray announced on April 14 that he would be testing the 2022 NBA draft waters.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to be able to play the game I love every day and to wear the Black and Gold. My focus is being able to grow as a player in every way possible. The opportunity to get feedback and 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.

Murray didn’t sign with an agent, so he’s maintained his collegiate eligibility if he chooses to return to Iowa. Underclassmen have until June 1 to either remain or remove their names from the draft and the expectation is that Murray will indeed return to Iowa City.

Of course, guard [autotag]Jordan Bohannon[/autotag]’s college eligibility has expired and Kris’ twin brother, Keegan Murray, announced that he would be entering the 2022 NBA draft where he’s regarded as a likely lottery pick. Beyond that, three players have transferred out. Guard Joe Toussaint is transferring to West Virginia and guard Austin Ash and forward Josh Ogundele announced they aren’t returning either.

Iowa signed a pair in the 2022 class, three-star point guard [autotag]Dasonte Bowen[/autotag] out of the Brewster Academy in New Hampshire and three-star shooting guard Josh Dix from Abraham Lincoln High School in Council Bluffs, Iowa. The Hawkeyes are in the running for Utah Valley transfer center [autotag]Fardaws Aimaq[/autotag] as well. Aimaq averaged 18.9 points and 13.6 rebounds per game last season while shooting 43.5% from 3-point range. He included Iowa in his top five along with Gonzaga, Texas, Texas Tech and Washington.

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 assistant coach Billy Taylor taking over as head coach at Elon

Iowa assistant men’s basketball coach Billy Taylor is off to become Elon’s new head men’s basketball coach.

After a second successful stint at the University of Iowa, assistant men’s basketball coach Billy Taylor is back to the head coaching ranks. Elon athletic director Dave Blank named Taylor the school’s 19th head men’s basketball coach.

“I am humbled and honored to accept the head coaching position at Elon University. I want to thank President Connie Ledoux Book and Director of Athletics Dave Blank for offering me the opportunity to serve the student-athletes in our basketball program. As a program, we will pursue excellence on the basketball court, in the classroom and in the community. Our family is excited to begin this new journey, and we look forward to joining the Elon community,” Taylor said.

It’s Taylor’s third opportunity to be a Division I head men’s basketball coach. At Lehigh from 2002-07, Taylor compiled an 81-69 record and made one NCAA Tournament appearance in 2004. Then, at Ball State from 2007-13, Taylor registered an 84-99 record. He also coached at Division II Belmont Abbey for three seasons, tallying a 49-42 record. For his career as a head coach, Taylor is 214-210.

Obviously, Taylor’s hiring speaks to the type of coach he is and how his role with the Hawkeyes has been perceived nationally. It also speaks to the type of success Iowa has enjoyed. When programs find success, assistant coaches get hired.

That’s been the case with the Hawkeyes after three consecutive 20-plus win seasons and a pair of NCAA Tournament trips. It would have been three consecutive trips, but, of course, the 2019-20 season ended with the tournament being canceled.

With Taylor on staff, the Hawkeyes and Iowa head men’s basketball coach [autotag]Fran McCaffery[/autotag] enjoyed several of their best offensive seasons in school history. Iowa ranked fifth nationally in scoring offense each of the past two seasons at 83.7 points per game in the 2020-21 season and 83.2 points per game.

The Hawkeyes had national player of the year finalists each of the past three seasons in center Luka Garza (2020, 2021) and forward Keegan Murray this past season. Garza actually swept the national awards last season.

The Phoenix finished last season 10-22 overall and 7-11 in the Colonial Athletic Association.

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 makes top 5 for Utah Valley transfer center Fardaws Aimaq

Iowa made the cut for Utah Valley transfer center Fardaws Aimaq.

Iowa is in the process of replacing national player of the year candidate and probable 2022 NBA draft lottery pick [autotag]Keegan Murray[/autotag] as well as Iowa’s and the Big Ten’s career made 3-pointers leader in guard [autotag]Jordan Bohannon[/autotag].

At least one reporter expects the Hawkeyes to be better off than maybe some naysayers would think. 247Sports national college basketball writer Kevin Flaherty recently ranked Iowa No. 16 in his way-too-early top 23 for 2023. Fellow 247Sports writer Isaac Trotter included Hawkeye forward Patrick McCaffery among his players poised to emerge as potential breakout stars in the 2022-23 season.

McCaffery and forward Kris Murray should both see elevated minutes and usage rates. It only makes sense that McCaffery’s 10.5 points and 3.6 rebounds per game should go up as well. That should be the case with Kris Murray’s 9.7 points and 4.3 rebounds per game, too.

Still, Iowa is losing some serious production in both Keegan Murray and Bohannon. Keegan Murray finished averaging 23.5 points and 8.7 rebounds per game. Murray joined former Texas star Kevin Durant in becoming just the second player in Division I history to amass more than 800 points, 60 blocks, and 60 3-pointers in a single season. Meanwhile, Bohannon ended his career having made an Iowa and Big Ten record 455 3-pointers. He also averaged 11 points per game last season for the Hawkeyes.

With those losses in mind, Iowa is looking to replenish via the transfer portal. One of the names Iowa has been linked to is Utah Valley center Fardaws Aimaq. The 6-foot-11 center trimmed his list of potential transfer destinations down to five and Iowa made the cut.

Along with the Hawkeyes, Aimaq is still reportedly considering Gonzaga, Texas, Texas Tech and Washington.

Iowa Hawkeyes offer 2025 small forward Cooper Flagg

Class of 2025 small forward Cooper Flagg received an offer from the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Iowa and head men’s basketball coach [autotag]Fran McCaffery[/autotag] aren’t wasting any time letting class of 2025 small forward [autotag]Cooper Flagg[/autotag] know how much they like his game. The Hawkeyes offered the 6-foot-8, 195 pound wing from Nokomis Regional High School in Newport, Maine.

It’s obviously very early in the 2025 cycle and Flagg just finished up his freshman season. As a result, there aren’t really any player recruiting rankings to look at yet. Still, the Iowa offer and recent interest from Michigan and UCLA shows the power-five ability coaching staffs feel Flagg possesses.

247Sports national basketball recruiting analyst Dushawn London wrote a get-to-know piece on Flagg back in January.

Class of 2025 forward Cooper Flagg has emerged as a player to keep on the radar. Flagg plays his high school ball at Nokomis Regional School in Newport Maine. At 6-foot-7 Flagg brings a lot of versatility and length on both sides of the ball and is already off to a hot start to his high school career.

“The biggest takeaway so far is playing against the better people in the area,” he said. “Going through middle school there wasn’t really much competition but now it’s the maximum competition around the area.” – London, 247Sports.

London noted that Flagg will also play AAU for Maine United. After the Hawkeyes offered, UCLA extended an offer to Flagg two days later. According to 247Sports, Flagg also holds offers from Bryant and Albany.

Iowa men’s basketball is set to look different in the 2022-23 season. That’s guaranteed after the departures of standout sophomore forward [autotag]Keegan Murray[/autotag] to the 2022 NBA draft and longtime sharpshooter [autotag]Jordan Bohannon[/autotag].

Iowa head men’s basketball coach Fran McCaffery will also be looking to replace transfer portal defections in guard Austin Ash, guard Joe Toussaint and forward Josh Ogundele. The Hawkeyes signed a pair in the 2022 class, three-star Brewster Academy point guard [autotag]Dasonte Bowen[/autotag] and three-star Abraham Lincoln High School shooting guard [autotag]Josh Dix[/autotag].

Projecting forward, Iowa has a commitment from four-star, class of 2023 power forward [autotag]Owen Freeman[/autotag] of Bradley-Bourbonnais High School in Bradley, Ill.

Here’s a look at Flagg’s game courtesy of SLAM.

Former Iowa Hawkeyes guard Joe Toussaint heading to West Virginia

Former Iowa guard Joe Toussaint announced that he’s transferring to West Virginia to play for Bob Huggins and the Mountaineers.

It will be a different looking Iowa men’s basketball team next season. That much was assured by longtime sharpshooter Jordan Bohannon’s eligibility coming to a close. Bohannon, who recently won the college 3-point contest, leaves Iowa City as both the Hawkeyes and the Big Ten’s most accomplished 3-point shooter.

Bohannon knocked down 455 3-pointers over the course of his Hawkeye career. Sophomore forward Keegan Murray also announced his decision to enter the 2022 NBA draft. Murray is thought of as a potential NBA lottery pick. USA TODAY Sports’ Jeff Zillgitt projected Murray to be selected by the Portland Trailblazers with the No. 6 pick in the upcoming draft. It goes without saying then that Iowa is losing a lot of production with those two players out of the picture.

That fact was exacerbated by the losses of three players to the transfer portal: guard Austin Ash, guard Joe Toussaint and forward Josh Ogundele. After revealing his decision to enter the transfer portal on March 29, Toussaint announced his landing spot on Monday.

Toussaint is headed to West Virginia to play for longtime head men’s basketball coach Bob Huggins in the Big 12. The 6-foot, 190 pound guard would have two years of eligibility remaining if he chooses to make use of the extra year granted for players whose careers were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Bronx, N.Y., product averaged a team-best 3.2 assists and 1.4 steals per game last season. Toussaint finished last year with 114 assists and 51 steals while averaging 4.3 points per game in 17.4 minutes of average floor time. Now, he heads to a program in Morgantown, W.Va., that has a penchant for creating havoc and forcing opponents into turnovers.

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.

USA TODAY Sports mocks Iowa’s Keegan Murray to the Portland Trailblazers in the 2022 NBA draft

Iowa standout sophomore Keegan Murray was mocked No. 6 overall to the Portland Trailblazers by USA TODAY Sports.

Iowa sophomore standout [autotag]Keegan Murray[/autotag] announced on March 29 that he would be entering the 2022 NBA draft. It’s no surprise after a season where Murray upped his scoring average by more than 16 points.

No other Big Ten player had increased their points per game average by more than what Murray did in the past 48 years. Illinois’ Rick Schmidt increased his average by 17.6 points from the 1972-73 season to the 1973-74 season.

Murray averaged 23.5 points and 8.7 rebounds per game en route to winning the Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award. The 6-foot-8, 225 pound native of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was a finalist for the Naismith Trophy, the John R. Wooden Award and the Lute Olson National Player of the Year, too.

As a result, Murray is viewed as a can’t-miss NBA draft lottery pick. In USA TODAY Sports writer Jeff Zillgitt’s latest 2022 NBA mock draft, he has Murray being selected by the Portland Trailblazers as the No. 6 overall selection.

Zillgitt’s top five selections went as follows: Duke’s Paolo Banchero No. 1 overall to the Orlando Magic, Auburn’s Jabari Smith No. 2 to the Houston Rockets, Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren No. 3 to the Detroit Pistons, Purdue’s Jaden Ivey No. 4 to the Oklahoma City Thunder and Kentucky’s Shaedon Sharp No. 5 to the Indiana Pacers.

The rest of Zillgitt’s top 10 selections saw Memphis’ Jalen Duren to the Sacramento Kings at No. 7, Wisconsin’s Johnny Davis No. 8 to the New Orleans Pelicans, Duke’s A.J. Griffin No. 9 to the San Antonio Spurs and Arizona’s Bennedict Mathurin No. 10 to the Washington Wizards.

With Murray’s ability to guard positions one through five and his 3-point shooting range, he will be a terrific addition to whichever team he winds up with. He shot 39.8% from 3-point distance this past season. Murray joined former Texas star Kevin Durant in becoming just the second player in Division I history to amass more than 800 points, 60 blocks, and 60 3-pointers in a single season.

In the process, Murray also became Iowa’s fourth consensus first-team All-American in program history, joining Murray Wier (1948), Charles Darling (1952) and Luka Garza (2020 and 2021).

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.

247Sports tabs Iowa Hawkeyes’ Patrick McCaffery as potential 2022-23 breakout star

247Sports’ Isaac Trotter listed Iowa forward Patrick McCaffery as one of his potential breakout stars for the 2022-23 basketball season.

With Kansas’ 72-69 rally over North Carolina in the NCAA Tournament’s national championship game, the 2021-22 college basketball season is officially a wrap. While Iowa’s stay in March Madness was an abbreviated one, the season itself was a big surprise to many prognosticators.

Iowa was picked to finish ninth by the league’s media entering last season. With Iowa replacing national player of the year [autotag]Luka Garza[/autotag], it made sense why some media members might be down on the Hawkeyes at the beginning of this past season.

Instead of the projected ninth-place finish, Iowa wound up ending the Big Ten regular season with a 12-8 league mark to earn the No. 5 seed in the Big Ten Tournament. Of course, the Hawkeyes went on to win the Big Ten Tournament by dispatching of then-No. 9 Purdue in the championship game, 75-66.

Sophomore forward [autotag]Keegan Murray[/autotag] emerged as one of the nation’s best players, upping his points per game average by more than 16 points. Murray averaged 23.5 points and 8.7 rebounds per game to place himself in the conversation for all of the major national player of the year awards.

Now, with Murray having declared for the 2022 NBA draft and guard [autotag]Jordan Bohannon[/autotag] having exhausted his eligibility, Iowa finds itself in similar circumstances to the beginning of last season. Plenty of analysts will be expecting a step backwards for Iowa given the production the Hawkeyes are losing.

That means more opportunities for those returning to campus, though, and Iowa will be hoping for a pair of forwards to make significant leaps during the 2022-23 men’s college basketball season. [autotag]Kris Murray[/autotag] and [autotag]Patrick McCaffery[/autotag] are both great candidates to make serious strides entering next season. In fact, 247Sports writer Isaac Trotter included McCaffery as one of his potential breakout stars for next season.

Kris Murray is going to be the trendy pick to step up for Iowa after Keegan Murray’s departure for the NBA. Kris Murray is going to be a star, but McCaffery could also be one, too. McCaffery really had a polished offensive game. His usage rate should get a big bump next year, and the 6-foot-9 forward will form a powerful 1-2 punch with Kris Murray. – Trotter, 247Sports.

Again, both Murray and McCaffery will be popular picks to take steps forward in their production. Murray averaged 9.7 points and 4.3 rebounds per game in just 17.9 minutes of floor time on average. Meanwhile, McCaffery was one of Iowa’s three players to average double-figure scoring last year. McCaffery averaged 10.5 points and 3.6 rebounds per game in 24.2 minutes of floor time on average.

It’s easy to see both Murray and McCaffery seriously improving upon their averages from this past season. Beyond that, Iowa will need to add some talent from the transfer portal to go along with the pair of three-star guards the Hawkeyes are bringing in. According to 247Sports, Iowa signed three-star point guard [autotag]Dasonte Bowen[/autotag] from Brewster Academy in New Hampshire and three-star shooting guard [autotag]Josh Dix[/autotag] from Abraham Lincoln High School in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

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.