Big Ten Basketball: Ranking of 25 best players from last decade (2013-23)
By Joey Loose
16. Keegan Murray
A 6’8 forward from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Murray found a home with the Hawkeyes in 2020 in the midst of the pandemic. When he got to Iowa, Luka Garza was a senior and putting up incredible numbers, meaning Murray didn’t get a ton of run or production early in his career. When he got his chance, he shined and showed that he was an elite prospect.
That freshman season saw Murray averaged just 7.2 points and 5.1 rebounds a game, mostly coming off the bench but getting decent run with the program. His role significantly increased as a sophomore. He had 27 points and 21 rebounds in the third game of the season and would put together fantastic ballgames on a regular basis. He actually averaged 23.5 points and 8.7 rebounds per game while shooting a hair under 40% from outside the arc. Additionally, he guided Iowa to the Big Ten tournament title, averaging just less than 26 points in that postseason.
No one in the nation scored more points than Murray during his sophomore season, finishing the year with 822 total points. He took one of the most dramatic sophomore leaps in recent memory and was named a First Team All-American. He also received the Karl Malone Award as the nation’s top power forward and was the clear winner of Big Ten Tournament MVP. Even in just that one season he had the chance to show he belonged and it earned him a Top 5 selection in the 2022 NBA Draft.