Tag: Kris Murray

PHOTOS: Iowa men’s basketball roasts Bethune-Cookman to open 2022-23 season

All five starters finished in double-figure scoring, including Tony Perkins’ game-high 16. Here were the best photos from the season opener.

Iowa wasted no time illustrating promise for the 2022-23 men’s college basketball season. All five Hawkeye starters finished with double-figure scoring, including point guard Tony Perkins who finished with a game-high 16 points on 7-of-9 field goal shooting.

“Tony Perkins has aggressiveness. He has skills. He is shooting the ball outside. He is driving the ball. He always had a pull-up game. He is getting to the rim. We put the ball in his hands a little bit more, so now he has more space, and he is even more effective.

“Five assists and one turnover, that is the thing that impressed me the most. When you put him at the point, you are going to have to give it up, and he does. But he did that from the first day he got here. He said, yeah, he was a scorer, he was a scoring guard, but you can put the ball in his hands. He will just get better,” Iowa head men’s basketball coach Fran McCaffery said of Perkins’ performance.

Filip Rebraca also recorded his 20th career double-double, scoring 11 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.

“He is aggressive offensively, he is aggressive in his ball-screen defense, he is aggressive in post defense. He is aggressive on the glass and running the floor. He is taking the ball, dribbling it, driving it and finishing the play, posting hard.

“Quite frankly, all the stuff he did when he was at North Dakota. He was dominant. For us he was really good. His role was different. We got to keep him here, and now he has taken charge. That’s what I wanted him to do. It was always in there, and now you’re seeing it,” McCaffery said of Rebraca.

Meanwhile, Kris Murray had 14 points, Payton Sandfort had 13 and Patrick McCaffery finished with 12.

With the win, Iowa begins its season 1-0. The Hawkeyes have now won 12 consecutive season openers, 78 of their last 83 nonconference home games and improved to 92-3 when holding opponents to fewer than 61 points during McCaffery’s tenure.

There are plenty of takeaways and Hawkeye social media was certainly delighted to have Iowa basketball back. It was a fun night from inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Take a look back at the season debut that was through these sensational still photos.

Iowa receiving votes in inaugural 2022-23 USA TODAY Sports Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll

The Iowa Hawkeyes are in the receiving votes category in the preseason USA TODAY Sports Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll.

It’s going to be a new-look Iowa men’s basketball team. That much is obvious after Keegan Murray was selected No. 4 overall by the Sacramento Kings and Jordan Bohannon has officially moved on.

There’s been some transfers away from the Hawkeyes, too, but Iowa still has a strong corps of players returning. That group is led by forwards Patrick McCaffery and Kris Murray.

Patrick McCaffery returns after averaging 10.5 points per game in 24.2 minutes per game on 42.2% shooting, including 33.0% 3-point shooting. Kris Murray averaged 9.7 points per game and 4.3 rebounds per game off the bench. The 6-foot-8, 220 pound forward from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, netted 47.9% of his field goal attempts and 38.7% from 3-point distance.

That duo headlines a group that has Iowa in the receiving votes category of the preseason USA TODAY Sports Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll. In all, three Big Ten teams were ranked ahead of the season: No. 14 Indiana, No. 22 Michigan and No. 23 Illinois. Fellow Big Ten teams Purdue, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Ohio State and Rutgers also found themselves in the receiving votes category.

The No. 1 team in the preseason Coaches Poll is last season’s national runner-up in the North Carolina Tar Heels. After UNC, the top five looks like this: No. 2 Gonzaga, No. 3 Houston, No. 4 Kentucky and No. 5 Kansas. The rest of the preseason top-10 teams includes No. 6 Baylor, No. 7 UCLA, No. 8 Duke, No. 9 Creighton and No. 10 Arkansas.

The rest of the Hawkeyes’ nucleus includes guards Ahron Ulis, Josh Dix, Dasonte Bowen, Payton Sandfort, Connor McCaffery, Amarion Nimmers and Tony Perkins. Iowa also has bigs Josh Ogundele, Riley Mulvey and Filip Rebraca.

Perkins averaged 7.4 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game last season, while Rebraca added 5.8 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. Sandfort averaged 5.0 points per game while connecting on 36.6% of his 3-pointers. Ulis delivered 3.1 points per game, while Connor McCaffery chipped in with 2.5 points per game and Ogundele added 1.5 points and 1.3 rebounds per game.

“As far as our team, I’m excited about this team. I think everybody that stands there at this time says the same thing. I said this last year. I didn’t know what we had. Everybody last year was in a new role. I had never coached a team before where everybody on that team was in a new role. We ended up doing really well.

“This is a different team. We’re not as big as we’ve been, but I think we’re every bit as deep and versatile. I’m really excited about the blend of youth and experience we have. We have three starters returning. We put together, without question, the most difficult schedule that I’ve ever put in front of our team. So obviously I feel like they can handle it. I’m excited for the challenge,” Iowa head men’s basketball coach Fran McCaffery said of his group at Big Ten Media Days.

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Iowa Hawkeyes ranked No. 21 in 247Sports’ preseason college basketball rankings

It’s almost time to tip off the 2022-23 men’s college basketball season. According to 247Sports, Iowa starts as the nation’s No. 21 team.

You can tell a season is right around the corner when the market becomes flooded with preseason rankings. Everyone loves a good set of rankings, especially as they try to get a gauge on teams before they step on the court. Nothing boosts your self worth quite like correctly predicting who the top teams will be in advance!

247Sports’ Kevin Flaherty and Isaac Trotter recently took their hand at predicting the field, releasing their college basketball preseason rankings. Coming in as the 21st ranked team in the country is the reigning Big Ten Tournament champion in Iowa.

This could be one of Fran McCaffery’s better defensive teams, and if Kris Murray makes the expected leap to All-Big Ten caliber player, the scoring will be there as well. Patrick McCaffery, Tony Perkins and Payton Sandfort can all put the ball in the basket. – 247Sports.

Iowa is one of only three Big Ten schools featured on the list, Illinois ranked 15th with Indiana a place behind.

The Associated Press also only ranked three Big Ten teams in their initial top 25, notably leaving Iowa on the outside looking in. According to the AP voters, Indiana is the highest-ranked Big Ten team at No. 13, followed by No. 22 Michigan and No. 23 Illinois.

It will once again be a tough competition for the conference crown, but it seems the national media is not expecting a national champion to come from the Big Ten this season.

There is a lot of projection in regards to Iowa this upcoming season, making it understandable why they are a bubble top-25 team heading into the season. Of course, the notable departure is All-American forward Keegan Murray. The fourth overall pick by the Sacramento Kings, Murray would’ve been a National Player of the Year most other seasons.

A lot of pundits are projecting twin brother Kris Murray to fill his brother’s shoes as the star of the team, but, of course, that is still just a projection for now. Murray is following a similar career arc to his brother Keegan, performing really well when given a chance at extended playing time last season. We will have to see if he can handle the limelight as the true No. 1 option for Iowa head men’s basketball coach Fran McCaffery.

The other biggest projection, as Kevin Flaherty breaks down for Hawkeye Insider and 247Sports, is the team’s defense.

Fran McCaffery’s bunch lost All-American Keegan Murray, who likely would have been National Player of the Year in a number of other seasons. But he brings back an experienced roster from a team that appeared to figure things out defensively as the season went on, something that could make this 2022-23 bunch better than its predecessors.

Iowa has not had a top 70 defense in KenPom’s adjusted defensive efficiency since the 2015-16 season, and if the Hawkeyes can find a way to keep the offensive train rolling while buffing up on the defensive end, Iowa could compete for a Big Ten title. Iowa certainly appears to boast plenty of firepower. – Flaherty, 247Sports.

That progression on the defensive side of the court is probably the biggest key for Iowa in 2022. While the team loses Keegan Murray, they still return a lot of experienced players who can put the ball in the hoop. Fourth-year forward Patrick McCaffery averaged a hair over 10 points per game last year, and is getting some breakout buzz in his own right ahead of the season.

Payton Sandfort showed a lot of scoring potential off the bench last year, especially as a shooter hitting 36% of his 3-point attempts. You can go down the roster list and find potential breakout candidates: Kris Murray, Patrick McCaffery, Dasonte Bowen, etcetera.

There are a lot of things to be excited about with this team, but a ton to prove as well. They’ll have plenty of opportunities to show why they’re a top team right away, with Seton Hall, Clemson, and Duke scheduled early in the season.

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Andy Katz pegs Iowa forward Kris Murray as top breakout star for 2022-23 season

According to Andy Katz, Iowa once again has the next breakout star in college basketball.

Another breakout star in Iowa City? Yessir, If men’s college basketball analyst Andy Katz is to be believed!

Basketball analyst for NCAA.com and just overall respected basketball mind Andy Katz recently released his list of the Top 15 Men’s College Basketball Breakout Stars, and he is projecting another Iowa Hawkeye to be this year’s big breakout star.

1. Kris Murray, Iowa: His twin brother is with the Sacramento Kings. Kris Murray is the go-to guy now with the Hawkeyes. – Katz, NCAA.com.

Short and to the point, we love it!

Keegan Murray was, of course, the big breakout star in college hoops last year. After a fairly quiet freshman campaign, Murray rose to superstardom in his sophomore year. Leading the Hawkeyes to their third conference tournament championship, Murray averaged 23.5 points per game and was named the Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year.

He probably should have won the Big Ten Player of the Year award, but hey, sometimes you have to give it to the player who was inferior in pretty much every statistical category including efficiency! He was a consensus first-team All-American before being drafted fourth overall by the Sacramento Kings in this recent draft.

There were many fears that his twin brother Kris would join him in pursuit of the league this offseason, Murray at one point declaring for the draft. While he did (thankfully) opt to return, it is obvious there is buzz around the junior forward. He showed great flashes, especially against Big Ten competition. He scored over 20 points against Indiana and Purdue, dropping 19 against Michigan as well.

With the success of his brother, there is an increased spotlight on the junior forward to deliver this year. A lot of publications are pegging him as the next breakout player as well. There is a ton of hype around coach Fran McCaffery’s team heading into the year, and the leader spot of this team is open for the taking.

All eyes will be on Murray for 2022-23.

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Super-early mock 2023 NBA draft has Boston Celtics taking Iowa forward

The man in question already has a brother in the league, to boot.

Is it too early to think about the 2023 NBA draft? Not if you happen to be Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman, who thinks about every draft for a living as that outlet’s resident draft expert.

To such an end, Wasserman has already released his first full mock draft for the 2023 class, which has the Boston Celtics going all in with their sole pick in that draft on an Iowa power forward who has family already in the league. That would be one Kris Murray, whose brother Keegan was picked by the Sacramento Kings in the 2022 draft.

The B/R draft expert has Boston taking Kris at a projected No. 42 pick, writing that with “scouts locked into Keegan Murray last season, Kris made some watch lists for his 6’8″ size, shooting efficiency, defensive activity, and flashes of attacking closeouts.”

With the Celtics in need of some flexible depth on the upper end of the wing spectrum, Kris would make a lot of sense for the Celtics.

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It also wouldn’t shock us if Boston dealt away this pick in order to fortify their roster in the present, but if they did hold onto the pick, the Iowa junior gets our stamp of approval at the Celtics Wire.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

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2023 NBA Mock Draft 1.0: An early look at the top prospects next year

Rookie Wire took a very early look at the next rookie class and some of the top prospects to monitor over the course of the 2022-23 season.

With the basketball world over a month removed from the NBA draft, many have started to look ahead to the next rookie class and which prospects may be available.

The class is headlined by French phenom Victor Wembanyama, who is considered one of the top prospects in recent memory. He has performed well in the top basketball league in France and looks to already be locked in as the top pick in 2023.

Elsewhere, there are several other prospects that will be worth monitoring over the course of next season. The rankings will certainly change but it can be a productive exercise to see how prospects moved up and down draft boards ahead of next year.

Rookie Wire took a very early look at the next rookie class and some of the top prospects to monitor as the 2022-23 season approaches in a couple of months.

Note: The order of the draft was determined by the reverse championship odds set by Tipico Sportsbook. The 2023 draft will only have 59 picks after the Bulls were stripped of their second-round pick by the NBA due to a tampering violation involving the signing of Lonzo Ball.

‘Looking to create my own legacy here at Iowa’: Kris Murray excited to take over for the Hawkeyes

In a conversation with Andy Katz, Iowa’s Kris Murray broke down his excitement for the 2022-23 season and his focus this summer.

Last week, Iowa head men’s basketball coach Fran McCaffery caught up with reporters where he discussed a number of topics about his 2022-23 roster.

Naturally, one of the first questions McCaffery was asked was the importance of star forward Kris Murray’s decision to return to Iowa City.

“Well, first of all, I’m really excited for him. First time in his life that he hasn’t played with his brother. He accepted the challenge of coming back. As I said before, he bet on himself. A lot of guys, if they have a two-way, they take it. He could’ve gone to a two-way if he wanted, but he wanted to come back. He loves his teammates and he wants the responsibility that’s going to be placed on him. And he’s ready for it, he’s worked hard for it and I’m excited for him,” McCaffery said.

Now, it’s Kris Murray’s turn to sound off on some of his thoughts during Iowa’s summer workouts in a recent interview with Andy Katz of the Big Ten Network.

Iowa Hawkeyes safely in the 2023 NCAA Tournament in Joe Lunardi’s summer Bracketology

A summer Bracketology? You better believe it, and the Iowa Hawkeyes are safely in the 2023 NCAA Tournament per ESPN’s Joe Lunardi.

It’s never too early to start thinking about next year!

While we are nowhere near the start of the 2022-23 men’s college basketball season, it’s still right in season for ESPN analyst Joe Lunardi to start piecing together his March bracket.

In his most recent version of Bracketology, Iowa is in with one of the last four byes of the tournament, landing as the No. 10 seed in the East region. The Hawkeyes’ opening date would be against seventh-seeded Saint Louis with a likely date against No. 2 seed Texas looming after that.

Iowa is one of seven Big Ten teams that Lunardi currently has making the Big Dance. That’s tied for tops nationally of any conference according to Lunardi’s projections, joining the Big 12, Big East and SEC as seven-bid leagues.

In addition to Iowa, Lunardi has No. 7 seed Purdue and No. 8 seed Ohio State in the West region, No. 6 seed Illinois and No. 8 seed Michigan State in the East region and No. 4 seed Indiana and No. 7 seed Michigan in the South region.

For the Hawkeyes, Lunardi is expecting a bit of regression from the past two seasons. Iowa was a No. 2 seed in the 2021 NCAA Tournament and a No. 5 seed last year entering March Madness after winning the Big Ten Tournament title over Purdue, 75-66.

Over the past two seasons, Iowa basketball has lost their star player. Luka Garza was possibly the greatest player in Hawkeyes history, a two-time Big Ten Player of the Year and consensus All-American. He graduated on to the NBA at the end of the 2020-21 season.

Then, Keegan Murray broke out and was also a consensus first-team All-American. He also probably should have been won the Big Ten Player of the Year last year. Instead, he goes down as Iowa’s highest-ever draft pick, going fourth to the Sacramento Kings in the 2022 NBA draft.

That’s two straight years that Iowa has to replace a historic player. While that’s routine for a team like Duke that rules the top-10 player recruiting list every year, it is a tough task for a team like Iowa. There are a lot of returning pieces coming back, including potential breakout star Kris Murray.

“Well, first of all, I’m really excited for him. First time in his life that he hasn’t played with his brother. He accepted the challenge of coming back,” Head Coach Fran McCaffrey said in a recent interview about the returning Murray. “As I said before, he bet on himself. A lot of guys, if they have a two-way, they take it. He could’ve gone to a two-way if he wanted, but he wanted to come back. He loves his teammates and he wants the responsibility that’s going to be placed on him. And he’s ready for it, he’s worked hard for it and I’m excited for him.”

The Hawkeyes open their 2022-23 season on Nov. 7 at home against SWAC opponent Bethune-Cookman.

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Iowa Hawkeyes freshman point guard Dasonte Bowen looking to help Iowa any way he can in 2022

Freshman point guard Dasonte Bowen shared how he’s adjusting to Iowa basketball and his 2022 expectations.

Freshman point guard Dasonte Bowen spoke with Hawk Central and reporters about his transition to Iowa and Division I basketball. In his initial conversation since touching down in Iowa City, Bowen displayed a very team-first mindset that fits the Hawkeyes culture extremely well.

When prompted with the player who pushes him the most in practice, junior guard Tony Perkins came to mind.

“Tony’s aggressive, I’ll say that. I don’t think anybody pushes me around but Tony’s definitely aggressive,” Bowen said.

It isn’t just Perkins, though. The veteran leaders this offseason have made it a point to get the incoming freshman used to the physical play of Big Ten basketball.

“I think everybody’s got a little edge to them, so I’ll say everyone’s physical, especially with the freshmen trying to get us used to it. Especially when we get into playing these in-conference games for sure, these other hard-nosed schools that like to push you around. So, I think they’re helping us adjust to that really well,” Bowen said.

It is clear early on that the competition to replace longtime starter Jordan Bohannon at the guard position is a fierce one with multiple players pushing each other to get better and earn the spot. For Bowen, it’s all about doing whatever he can to help the team win games.

“Wherever coach needs me at for us to win, that’s what I’m going to play for sure. I compete every day, I show up to get better every day. He (guard Ahron Ulis) does the same, so wherever coach feels is best to have us both at to win, I think we’ll both be fine with,” Bowen said.

The former three-star recruit further illustrated his team-first mindset when talking about misconceptions with his game.

“I say that I’m a ball-dominant point guard. I can score, but I can pass the ball. So, I can do whatever the team needs me to do. I think people misunderstand a lot of scoring guards out there. They think they’re selfish, stuff like that. I feel that I get my teammates involved, but I can score when necessary as well,” Bowen said.

A lot of Iowa’s lineup looks to be pretty set heading into next season. While the Hawkeyes lose Keegan Murray, who was just recently named Most Valuable Player of the NBA 2K23 Summer League, his twin brother Kris figures to take over his spot. Kris Murray tested out the NBA draft waters this summer, but, ultimately, made the decision to return to Iowa. Returning starter at forward Patrick McCaffrey is back as well and should be another key piece.

With a lot of experience in the locker room, Iowa is looking to once again contend for the Big Ten crown and hopefully make it further in the NCAA Tournament this year. There is a hole left at guard with the departure of Bohannon, though, a position many players on the roster can contribute at.

Previously mentioned Tony Perkins started 15 games last year, averaging 7.4 points per game. Sophomore Payton Sandfort is a player many in the industry are expecting to break out next season. Ahron Ulis also averaged around 14 minutes per game last year.

There are a lot of contenders for that starting spot, a lot of players with a solid background of work for Iowa. Bowen has a lot of talent as a scoring guard, and while he may not start year one, he can be a valuable contributor off the bench for Iowa with his team-first mindset. Look out for Bowen in the future, too.

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Everything Iowa Hawkeyes’ Fran McCaffery had to say in previewing his 2022-23 roster

With summer workouts taking place, Iowa head men’s basketball coach Fran McCaffery met and discussed his roster for the 2022-23 season.

The Iowa Hawkeyes’ 2021-22 men’s basketball season was a memorable one. Iowa rifled through the 2022 Big Ten Tournament, winning four games in four days to capture the program’s third all-time conference tournament title.

Overall, Iowa ended the season 26-10 (12-8 Big Ten). Over the past three seasons, the Hawkeyes have combined to win 68 games and finished each season ranked in the final Ferris Mowers Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll, powered by USA TODAY Sports.

Now, after enjoying one of the national player of the year candidates each of the past three seasons in Luka Garza for two and Keegan Murray last year, it’s time to turn the page onto the 2022-23 men’s basketball season.

Iowa head men’s basketball coach Fran McCaffery caught up with reporters to update the health of incoming signee Josh Dix, talk about Kris Murray’s upcoming season and a number of other topics pertaining to his 2022-23 men’s basketball roster.