NCAA Basketball: Keegan Murray, UVA struggles among key takeaways

DAYTON, OHIO - MARCH 19: Grayson Murphy #2 of the Belmont Bruins handles the ball during the first half against the Temple Owls in the First Four of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at UD Arena on March 19, 2019 in Dayton, Ohio. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

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Iowa forward Keegan Murray 210307 Wisc Iowa Mbb 039 Jpg /

Keegan Murray

We should have seen this after week 1, but since week 2 was just as impressive for the undersized center, attention needs to be put on what Keegan Murray is doing in Iowa. Last season, the National Player of the year was averaging 29.5 points per game while pulling down almost eleven rebounds while averaging over 28 minutes in the first four games of the season.

That was last season and that was Luka Garza, this season it is the 6’8 Murray that is averaging 25.5 points and 9.5 rebounds per game in three fewer minutes per game than Garza. To state that Murray is on his way to being National Player of the Year, would be hasty, but he is playing like a Consensus All-American after four contests.

In just his second season and having never scored over fourteen points, Keegan has had three games this season where he had a career-high as he has scored 24,25,26, and 27 points respectively. With the Big Ten/ACC Challenge and Big Ten conference play set to begin, the competition will get more difficult, but his minutes will increase. After averaging fewer than eight points last season this increase in production was not expected, but it is welcomed by Head Coach Fran McCaffery as Iowa looks to be on the right side of the ‘bubble come March.

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