Keegan Murray Co-B1G Player of Week

Iowa Sophomore Claims Honor for 4th Time in '21-22

IOWA CITY, Iowa - Iowa men’s basketball sophomore Keegan Murray has been named the Big Ten Co-Player of the Week, it was announced Monday by the Big Ten Conference Office. Murray shares the honor with Geo Baker of Rutgers.

Murray has earned the Big Ten weekly honor a program-best four times this season (Nov. 22; Dec. 20; Jan. 3; Feb. 14). Luka Garza previously held the school record for most Big Ten weekly accolades since the inception of the award during the 1981-82 season (three times in 2020-21).

Murray (6-foot-8, 225 pounds) helped propel the Hawkeyes to a pair of comfortable victories last week at Maryland (110-87) on Thursday and at home against Nebraska (98-75) on Sunday. Murray averaged 33.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, two blocks, and 1.5 steals in the two contests.

Against the Terrapins, Murray tallied 30 points, seven rebounds, and a game-best two blocked shots. He shot a blistering 12-of-14 from the field, including 2-of-3 from 3-point range. Murray and the Hawkeyes’ 110 points are a season high, most by either team in the 14-game series history, and most by the Hawkeyes in a conference game since scoring 116 against Northwestern on Feb. 9, 1995.

Murray poured in a game and career-best 37 points, six rebounds, and a game bests in steals (3) and blocks (2) against the Huskers. The 37 points are believed to be the third most by any men’s basketball player in Carver-Hawkeye Arena’s 39-year history (45 by Brian Quinnett of Washington State in 1986; 41 by Iowa’s Luka Garza in 2020). Iowa’s 98 points are the second most by either team in the 36-game series history (102 by Iowa in 2021).

Murray is the first Hawkeye to score 30+ points in back-to-back Big Ten games since Matt Gatens 1- years ago in 2012 (30 vs. Indiana and 33 vs. Wisconsin).

Murray, who is the only NCAA Division I player this season averaging 23+ points, 8+ rebounds, and 2+ blocks, has netted 25+ points an NCAA-best 11 times this season. He has tallied 30+ points four times, the most by any underclassman in a single season in program history. Murray ranks third in the nation in points per game and his 23.3 scoring average is most of any player from a major conference.

Iowa (17-7, 7-6) faces Michigan (13-10, 7-6) on Thursday at 6:01 p.m. (CT) on Mediacom Court at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City. Tickets are available for purchase at hawkeyesports.com/tickets.