Game Notes: No. 24 Iowa at No. 20 Illinois

THE SETTING
No. 24 Iowa (22-8, 12-7) will face 20th-ranked Illinois (21-8, 14-5) on Sunday in the regular season finale. Tipoff is scheduled for 6:37 p.m. (CT) at the State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois.

Depending on the results of this weekend’s games, Iowa will be the 4, 5 or 6 seed at next week’s Big Ten Tournament, while Illinois can achieve a 1, 2 or 3 seed.

Sunday marks the fourth time in five games where Illinois and Iowa will meet with both teams ranked in the AP Top 25.

ON THE AIR
Radio: Iowa games are broadcast on the Hawkeye Radio Network. Gary Dolphin handles the play-by-play, along with color commentator Bob Hansen. The network includes more than 40 stations that blanket the state of Iowa and include portions of Illinois, Nebraska, Minnesota, Missouri, and Wisconsin. The Hawkeye Radio Network coverage includes a 60-minute pregame show.
TV: Sunday’s contest will be televised on FS1. Joe Davis and Casey Jacobsen will call the action.

REGULAR SEASON FINALE STORYLINES
• The Hawkeyes have won six true road games, including its last four (Maryland; Ohio State; Nebraska; Michigan).
• Sunday will be the fourth straight game in which Iowa will be playing on a “Senior Night.” Iowa is 3-0 in “Senior Night” contests (at Nebraska, vs. Northwestern, at Michigan).
• The Hawkeyes have won eight of their last nine games. Iowa went 7-1 during the month of February, its most wins in February since winning all eight February contests in 1981.
• All-America candidate Keegan Murray is the only player nationally to average 23+ points, 8+ rebounds, and 2+ blocks this season and one of three players from a major conference with those averages over the last decade.
• Iowa has scored 700 points over its last eight games (87.5 ppg). That is the most points by any team in an eight-game span of Big Ten play since 1995, when the Hawkeyes themselves had 709 in eight games from Feb. 9 to March 8.
• The Hawkeyes have notched at least one victory over Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, and Indiana for the first time in the same season since 2006.
• Iowa has cemented its ninth upper division Big Ten finish in the last 10 seasons.
• Iowa has posted eight 20-win seasons under Coach McCaffery, including four straight.
• Over the last two games, Keegan Murray has moved from 11th to fourth on Iowa’s single season scoring list with 676 points. He is 23 points from third-place John Johnson (699).
• Nineteen of Iowa’s 22 wins have come by 10+ points, including 11 by 20 points or more.
• Iowa is 8-1 since shifting Jordan Bohannon from off guard to point guard. Bohannon has netted 1,975 career points, 25 points from point No. 2,000.
• Connor McCaffery has been white-hot shooting from 3-point range as of late, making 11-of-16 (.688) from long distance over the last five contests.
• The Hawkeyes are tops in the country in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.77); second in fewest turnovers per game (8.9); and fourth in turnover margin (5.3).
• Iowa ranks No. 15 in the NCAA NET, while Illinois i ranked No. 14. The Hawkeyes have two Quad 2 and six Quad 2 wins on their resume. Four of Iowa’s eight losses are by a five-point margin or less, all in conference play.
• Keegan Murray is fourth in the country in points per game (23.3); 23rd in field goal percentage (.566); 47th in blocks per contest (2.03); and 55th in double-doubles (8). Murray is a five-time Big Ten Player of the Week honoree and is on the Wooden Award Late-Season Top 20 List, Naismith Trophy Midseason Team, Lute Olson National Player of the Year Watch List, and Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Finalist.
• Iowa leads the Big Ten and is fifth nationally in scoring offense (83.6). The Hawkeyes have led the Big Ten in scoring four of the last eight seasons, including the last three.
• Fran McCaffery has coached a first-team All-Big Ten honoree six of the last eight years. He has guided Iowa to 20+ wins eight of the last 10 seasons.

IOWA WINS 5TH STRAIGHT GAME, BEATS MICHIGAN IN ANN ARBOR
The Murray twins combined for 42 points, 13 rebounds, and four blocks in an 82-71 victory at Michigan on Thursday at the Crisler Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
• The Hawkeyes recorded their first win in Ann Arbor since 2016.
• All-America candidate Keegan Murray netted a game-best 23 points to move up to fourth on Iowa’s single-season scoring chart with 676 points. The 676 points are the most by any Hawkeye sophomore in program history (previous best was 553 by Chris Kingsbury in 1996).
• Iowa improved to 18-2 this season when scoring 80+ points.
• Iowa improved to 3-0 in “Senior Night” games (at Nebraska, vs. Northwestern, at Michigan). The Hawkeyes will play their fourth “Senior Night” game on Sunday at Illinois.
• Jordan Bohannon made five 3-pointers moving into sixth place in NCAA history with 440 career 3-pointers. The 440 triples are the second most by a player from a major conference (457 by Duke’s J.J. Reddick).
• Kris Murray tallied 19 points, reaching double figures for the fourth time in five games.
• Iowa shot a season-best 57.9 percent (11-of-19) from 3-point range, marking the third time in four games that the Hawkeyes sank double-digit 3-pointers. Keegan Murray (4-of-4) and Jordan Bohannon (5-of-7) were a combined 9-of-11 (.818) from long distance.
• The Hawkeyes missed only one free throw (11-of-12, .917).
• Iowa led start to finish and led by as many as 19 points.
• Iowa’s defense forced 13 Wolverine turnovers, including 10 in the second half.
• Hunter Dickinson netted 15 of his team-best 21 points in the second stanza. He also pulled down a game-best 11 rebounds, rejected four shots, and had four assists.

ALL-TIME SERIES RECORDS
Illinois holds an 89-76 advantage in the series. The Fighting Illini have won four consecutive in the series since snapping Iowa’s five-game win streak from 2018-20.

Illinois holds a 64-17 advantage in games played in Champaign. The teams have split the last six meetings at the State Farm Center, with the Illini winning the last two. Iowa and Illinois also met in Champaign in the regular season finale two years ago on March 8, 2020 (Illinois won 78-76).

SCOUTING ILLINOIS
• Illinois (14 NET ranking) has won three of its last four games, including two straight. The Fighting Illini are 12-3 inside the State Farm Center this season.
• Illinois defeated Penn State 60-55 Thursday evening in Champaign. Da’Monte Williams led the Fighting Illini with 14 points, with Kofi Cockburn added 11 and Trent Frazier 10. Cockburn led Illinois with six rebounds and Frazier added four assists.
• In defeating Penn State, Illinois allowed the Nittany Lions just three free throw attempts (made one), while Illinois connected on 15-of-17 attempts. In Iowa’s win at Michigan the same night, the Hawkeyes were 11-12 from the line, compared to 4-8 for Michigan.
• Iowa and Illinois each feature balanced scoring, with four players on each team averaging in double figures. Iowa is led by Keegan Murray (23.3), while Kofi Cockburn leads Illinois with 21 points per game. Other double figure scorers for Illinois include Alfonso Plummer (15.1), Trent Frazier (12.5) and Jacob Grandison (10.3)
• Alfonso Plummer leads the Big Ten with 89 made three-point baskets, while Iowa’s Jordan Bohannon is second with 76 treys. Bohannon is shooting 88.8 percent from the foul line, while Plummer is at 87.3 percent. In league games only, Iowa and Illinois lead the conference with 8.79 three-pointers per game.
• Kofi Cockburn ranks 16th nationally with 14 double-doubles. Keegan Murray leads Iowa with eight double-doubles. Murray is fourth in the nation in scoring (23.3), while Cockburn ranks 11th in scoring (21.0) and 10th in rebounds per game (10.5).
• Brad Underwood is in his fifth year as head coach at Illinois (92-64, .590). Underwood arrived at Illinois from Oklahoma State, where he led the Cowboys to the 2017 NCAA Tournament. Prior to his one-year at Oklahoma State, he led Stephen F. Austin to the Southland Conference regular season and tournament titles in each of his three seasons.

LAST MEETING AGAINST ILLINOIS
Illinois outrebounded Iowa by 29 (52-23) in an 87-83 victory over the Hawkeyes on Dec. 6, 2021, in Iowa’s Big Ten home opener at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City.
• Keegan Murray, returned to the lineup after missing Iowa’s previous game at Purdue (ankle). Murray netted 17 of his team-best 19 points over the final 19 minutes, including a stretch of 12 straight points.
• Iowa, who ranks among the nation’s best in fewest turnovers per game, committed just four turnovers, equaling a season low (Virginia).
• Iowa’s bench accounted for 43 of the team’s 83 points.
• The Hawkeyes scored 26 points following 18 Illinois turnovers.
• Tony Perkins scored 13 of his 16 points in the first half.
• The Hawkeyes had a game-best 14-0 scoring run in the first half.
• Alfonso Plummer (21) and Jacob Grandison (21) combined for 42 of Illinois’ 87 points, while Kofi Cockburn posted a double-double (17 points, 18 rebounds).

MURRAY NAMED PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Sophomore Keegan Murray has been named Big Ten Player of the Week for the fifth time this season after leading Iowa to wins over Michigan State and at Nebraska. It is the fifth weekly honor for Murray, who averaged 21.5 points and 8.2 rebounds.

IOWA HISTORY
Iowa has played 2,902 games since beginning basketball in 1902. Iowa’s overall record is 1,714-1,188 (.591). Iowa’s 1,714 wins are 36th most among Division I programs. That includes a 1,097-377 (.744) record in home games, a 617-811 (.432) record in contests away from Iowa City, an 814-812 (.502) mark in Big Ten games and a 501-151 (.768) record in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

NUMBER OF THE WEEK — 3
Iowa is seeking to become the first school to have a men’s basketball player lead the Big Ten in scoring three straight seasons since Purdue from 1968-70.

Iowa’s Luka Garza led the conference in scoring average in 2020 (26.2 ppg) and 2021 (21.9 ppg). Keegan Murray leads the league this season, averaging 23.3 points per game.

Purdue legend Rick Mount led the Big Ten in scoring in 1968 (29.7 ppg), 1969 (35.2 ppg), and 1970 (39.4 ppg).

KEEGAN MURRAY GARNERS NATIONAL ATTENTION
Keegan Murray has been selected to the Wooden Award Late-Season Top 20, Naismith Trophy Midseason Team, Lute Olson National Player of the Year Award Midseason List, Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award Finalist, Sporting News and The Athletic Second Team All-America, Big Ten Player of the Week five times this season (Nov. 22; Dec. 20; Jan. 3; Feb. 14; Feb. 28), and the Naismith Trophy Player of the Week (Feb. 14).

The Hawkeyes have had a student-athlete named to the Wooden Award Late-Season Top 20 three straight years and four of the last seven seasons. Former Hawkeye Luka Garza was the recipient of the 2021 John R. Wooden Award and was a finalist in 2020 award, while Jarrod Uthoff was a semifinalist in 2016. Garza was also the recipient of the 2021 Lute Olson Award.

Murray has earned the Big Ten weekly honor a program-best five times. 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 has totaled 25 points or more 13 times this year, which are the most of any player from a major conference. He is also the only Hawkeye underclassman (freshman or sophomore) with four 30+ performances in a single season.

Murray averaged 7.2 points per game last year and is averaging 23.3 this season (+16.1). The last Big Ten player to increase his scoring by 16 points per game from one season to the next was Illinois’ Rick Schmidt, who went from 3.8 ppg in 1972-73 to 21.4 ppg in 1973-74 (+17.6).

Murray, who has posted a team-leading eight double-doubles this season, combined for 65 points in two games against Maryland. He amassed 35 points and eight rebounds on Jan. 3 and tallied 30 points on 12-of-14 shooting from the field and 4-of-7 from the foul line and grabbed seven rebounds at Maryland on Feb. 10.

Murray poured in a game and career-best 37 points, six rebounds, and a game bests in steals (3) and blocks (2) against Nebraska on Feb. 13. 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).

Murray is the first Hawkeye to score 30+ points in back-to-back Big Ten games since Matt Gatens 10 years ago in 2012 (30 vs. Indiana and 33 vs. Wisconsin).
Murray exploded for a then career-best 35 points versus Utah State. He scored 18 straight Iowa points spanning 6:08 in the first half. Murray was six points from the Sanford Pentagon scoring record.

Murray had a historic stat line against N.C. Central, registering 27 points, 21 rebounds, and four blocks. He became the fourth Hawkeye over the last five decades, and first since 1977, to score 20+ points and grab 20+ rebounds.

Murray posted game bests in points (29), rebounds (10), and blocks (3), while also dishing out three assists in Iowa’s win over Western Illinois. He shot a blistering 65 percent from the field, making 13-of-20 attempts.

TWICE AS NICE
Sophomores Keegan and Kris Murray rank first and fourth, respectively, in team scoring. Keegan averages 23.3 points, while Kris averages 10.2 points. Keegan also ranks first on the squad in rebounds per game (8.5), blocks per game (2.03), and free throws made (118), while Kris ranks second on the squad in blocks per contest (1.0), third in rebounds (4.5), and first in 3-point accuracy (.402, 37-of-92).

JORDAN BOHANNON HOLDS 5 IOWA RECORDS
Jordan Bohannon, competing in his sixth season, is the program’s career leader in four statistical categories: assists (692), 3-pointers made (440), games played (173), and free throw percentage (.887, 361-407). He sank a school and Xfinity Center record 10 3-pointers at Maryland on Feb. 10, 2022. The 10 triples were one shy of tying the Big Ten record. His 435 triples are the most in Big Ten history and 173 more than any other Hawkeye.

He has made 76 treys this season, second most among Big Ten student-athletes.

Bohannon (173) is the NCAA all-time leader in career games played. He is sixth in the NCAA with 440 career 3-point field goals made. The 440 triples are the second most by a player from a major conference (457 by Duke’s J.J. Reddick). He ranks third in career scoring at Iowa (1,975) and eighth in field goals made (587).

Bohannon, an honorable mention all-conference honoree in 2021, is the only Division I player over the last 25 years to make 75+ 3-pointers in five seasons.
Bohannon ranked first in the league in 3-point accuracy (.394) and second in 3-pointers made per game (2.58) in 2021. He was second in the conference in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.07) and fourth in assists per contest (4.4).

He is one of only three Division I players since the 1992-93 season to amass more than 625 assists and 360 3-pointers.

Bohannon is one of only three Hawkeyes to post four 100-assist seasons (Jeff Horner, Dean Oliver). He has accumulated seven points-assists double-doubles, the most in school history. Bohannon registered a school-record eight games with 10 or more assists.

McCAFFERY CLIMBING WINS CHART
Fran McCaffery and the Hawkeyes have reached 20 wins eight of the last 10 seasons. McCaffery and Tom Davis (10) are the only Iowa coaches to win 20 or more games in at least eight seasons.

Among Iowa’s head basketball coaches, McCaffery ranks second in tournament appearances behind Davis (9). Davis is Iowa’s all-time winningest coach, while McCaffery is second.

HAWKEYE FASTBREAKS
• The Hawkeyes are a perfect 18-0 this season when outrebounding their opponents and 11-0 when Iowa shoots 50 percent or better from the field.
• Iowa has won 10 or more Big Ten games seven of the last eight seasons.
• The Hawkeyes have had scoring runs of 10-0 or more a combined 23 times in 30 games.
• Sophomore Keegan Murray has totaled 25 points or more 13 times this season, the most of any player from a major conference. Murray is also the only Hawkeye underclassman (freshman or sophomore) with four 30+ performances in a single season.
• Iowa is 127-28 when scoring 80 points or more, the last 12 seasons. The Hawkeyes are 91-3 when holding opponents to fewer than 61 points, the last 12 years.
• Jordan Bohannon (120) and Connor McCaffery (101) rank second and fifth, respectively, in most career wins among active Big Ten players.
• The Hawkeyes have three regular season sweeps over Big Ten opponents this season. Iowa has swept Maryland, Minnesota and Nebraska. Iowa has notched single-play wins over Indiana, Michigan State, Northwestern, and Ohio State.
• Kris Murray leads the squad in 3-point accuracy, making 40 percent (37-of-92) of his attempts, while Jordan Bohannon is second (.382, 76-of-199). The duo combined for six triples in Iowa’s last game at Michigan.
• Iowa has been making the most of its trips to the foul line. The Hawkeyes are shooting 75.7 percent from the foul line, which ranks fourth in the Big Ten and 39th nationally. The Hawkeyes connected on 11-of-12 free throws Thursday at Michigan. The 446 free throw makes are 26th most in the NCAA.
• Iowa’s Keegan Murray (7 games this season) and Luka Garza (19 in a row) are the only two Big Ten men’s basketball players to have scored 20+ points in seven straight games over the last decade.
• Jordan Bohannon (30) and Keegan Murray (30) became the first Hawkeye duo to score 30+ points in the same game (at Maryland) since Bruce King (36) and Scott Thompson (30) at Michigan on Jan. 31, 1976.
• The Hawkeyes boasted a 15-3 record in home games this season. Iowa has won 14+ home contests each of the last four years.
• Keegan Murray and Kansas State’s Michael Beasley (2007-08) are the only two players from a major conference to score 24+ points in each of their first five games of the season over the last 15 years. He is one of three Big Ten players since the 2002-03 season with six consecutive 20-point games to start the season.
• Iowa posted school single-game records in 3-pointers made (20) and attempted (44) against Alabama State on Nov. 18, besting the previous records of 19-of-43 against Savannah State on Dec. 22, 2018. Iowa’s 20 3-pointers made equals the Carver-Hawkeye Arena record (20 by Purdue on Jan. 20, 2018).
• The Hawkeyes topped the century mark in three of their first five games (Longwood, Alabama State, Western Michigan). The last time an Iowa team scored 100+ points in three of its first five games was the start of the 1997-98 season.
• Iowa is the only Division I program with two sets of brothers on the 2021-22 roster, with one being identical twins. Connor and Patrick McCaffery are two years apart, while Keegan and Kris Murray are identical twins. The Murray twins are one of five twins on Division I rosters this season (Arizona State, San Diego State, SIUE, and Wisconsin).
• Iowa has won three straight games over Michigan State, dating back to 2021; that is the longest win streak over the Spartans since 2006. The Hawkeyes have defeated the Spartans by a combined 56 points in its last two victories — 88-58 on Feb. 13, 2021, in East Lansing and 86-60 on Feb. 22, 2022. The 26-point victory is the largest margin in Iowa City since 1996 (83-47).
• Virginia has allowed 75+ points at home only six times under head coach Tony Bennett. Iowa has accounted for two of those six (75 in 2021 and 75 in 2013).
• At Virginia and versus Illinois, the Hawkeyes committed a season-low four turnovers, tying the third fewest total in a single-game in the Fran McCaffery era. The four turnovers against the Cavaliers are the fourth lowest in any Big Ten/ACC Challenge game.
• The Hawkeyes have won seven of their last nine, including four straight, Big Ten/ACC Challenge games.
• Iowa has won an NCAA Tournament game each of its last four tournament appearances.
• Iowa has qualified for five NCAA tournaments over the last seven completed seasons (2014-16, 2019, 2021) and eight postseason tournaments over the last nine completed seasons (5 NCAA; 3 NIT).
• Florida State has won an NCAA-record 13 straight overtime games, dating back to January, 2018. The last team to beat the Seminoles in overtime was Iowa (78-75) on Dec. 2, 2015, in Iowa City. That game featured 21 lead changes.

PATRICK McCAFFERY PLAYING HIS BEST BASKETBALL
Redshirt sophomore Patrick McCaffery has been playing his best basketball the past month. McCaffery has netted double figures in scoring eight of the last 13 games played. He did not play in Iowa’s outing against Northwestern due to a hip injury but returned to play just over 18 minutes in the win at Michigan.

McCaffery scored a season-high 18 points and tied a career high with seven rebounds in Iowa’s win over Minnesota Feb. 6. McCaffery has made at least one 3-pointer in eight of the last 13 games, including sinking three in both games against Penn State last month.

He added 13 points and five rebounds in a home loss to Michigan. He added seven points and five rebounds in Iowa’s win at No. 18 Ohio State and five points and six rebounds in a win over Michigan State. He netted 10 points at Nebraska (Feb. 25).

STEALING THE ROCK
Iowa ranks first in the Big Ten and 80th nationally in steals per game (7.6). The last time a Hawkeye team led the conference in steals was during the 2016-17 season (8.1 per game). The Hawkeyes recorded 10 steals in each of their last two games (wins over Northwestern and Michigan).

VALUING THE BASKETBALL
The Hawkeyes are tops in the country in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.77); second in fewest turnovers per game (8.9); and fourth in turnover margin (5.3).

Connor McCaffery has continued his mastery of limiting turnovers in 2021-22 with 49 assists and only 10 turnovers (one per 46.3 minutes played), boasting a robust 4.9 assist-to-turnover ratio. Joe Toussaint’s 2.56 ratio is second best in the league and 25th nationally.

Iowa ranked first in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.02) last season. The Hawkeyes had two players ranked high nationally in assist-to-turnover ratio. Connor McCaffery was fourth in the country with a 3.73 ratio (112 assists; 30 turnovers), while Jordan Bohannon was 13th with a 3.07 ratio (135 assists; 44 turnovers).

SPOTLIGHTING KEEGAN MURRAY’S DOMINATING EFFORT
Keegan Murray posted 27 points, 21 rebounds, four blocks, and two assists in Iowa’s win over North Carolina Central on Nov. 16. He accomplished something that has not been done in over four decades by a Hawkeye.

Murray is the first Hawkeye to total 25+ points and 20+ rebounds in a game since Bruce King in 1977. King had 31 points and 21 rebounds vs. Ohio State in 1977.

Murray is one four players over the last five decades to post a 20-20 game: Kevin Kunnert (24-23) vs. Illinois in 1972; Fred Haberecht (29-20) vs. Wisconsin in 1975; Bruce King (42-20) vs. Pittsburgh in 1976; Bruce King (31-21) vs. Ohio State in 1977.

The last Big Ten player to have a 20-20 performance was Purdue’s Trevion Williams at Michigan on Jan. 9, 2020 (36-20).

Murray is the first Hawkeye since Greg Brunner in 2006 to grab 20+ rebounds in a game; Brunner had 23 against Minnesota on Jan. 18, 2006. Murray is the first major conference player with 27+ points, 21+ rebounds, and 4+ blocks since Kansas State’s Michael Beasley versus Sacramento State on Nov. 9, 2007.

SPOTLIGHTING JORDAN BOHANNON’S RECORD PERFORMANCE
Jordan Bohannon added another school record to his collegiate resume on Feb. 10, 2022, at Maryland.

Bohannon drained a school-record 10 3-pointers, surpassing the school’s 28-year record previously set twice by Chris Kingsbury (9) in 1994. His 16 3-point attempts tied a personal high (16 versus North Carolina in 2020).

The 10 triples are an Xfinity Center record and ties for second most by a Big Ten player ever. Bohannon’s previous high was eight 3-pointers (at Maryland in 2017 and vs Nebraska in 2021).

Bohannon finished the contest with 30 points in 30 minutes, tying his career high (versus UAB on Nov. 22, 2017).

GUARD COMBINATION CONTRIBUTES
In addition to senior Jordan Bohannon scoring in double figures in eight straight games, Iowa’s guard combination of Tony Perkins, Joe Toussaint and Ahron Ulis have played well during Iowa’s current five-game winning streak.

That trio contributed 15 points, nine rebounds and three assists against Ohio State, with just two turnovers in a combined 49 minutes of action.

Against Michigan State the trio added 12 points, seven rebounds, nine assists and just two turnovers in a combined 52 minutes.

Perkins had a career-best 20 points in the win at Nebraska, hitting 8-10 field goal attempts, and matching his career-best five rebounds. He also was credited with a personal-best five steals in Iowa’s win over Northwestern. In the win at Michigan the group added 13 points, five rebounds, three assists and four steals.

KEEGAN MURRAY TABBED PRESEASON ALL-BIG TEN
Sophomore forward Keegan Murray was named to the 2021-22 Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year.

It marks the third straight season that one or more Hawkeyes have been selected to the preseason list, voted upon by a selected panel of media. Joe Wieskamp was selected in 2019 and 2020, while Luka Garza was tabbed the Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year in November 2020.

Murray is one of the league’s top emerging players after being named to the five-player All-Big Ten Freshman Team a year ago. The Cedar Rapids, Iowa, native was one of only five players nationally — and only bench player — to amass 200 points, 35 blocks, 25 steals, and 15 3-pointers. He was the team’s leading scorer (7.8) and rebounder (5.5) off the bench in conference play. Murray led Iowa in blocks 12 times and steals five times. The 6-foot-8 forward was second on the team in steals (26) and ranked 11th in the Big Ten in blocked shots per game (1.26). His 39 blocks tie for fourth most by a freshman in program history.

Murray totaled 13 points, seven rebounds, four blocks, three assists, and a steal in Iowa’s first-round NCAA victory over Grand Canyon to become the first Hawkeye ever to stuff the stat sheet with those numbers in an NCAA Tournament contest.

LUKA GARZA’S NO. 55 FORMALLY RETIRED
The University of Iowa Athletics Department formally retired two-time National Player of the Year Luka Garza’s No. 55 on Feb. 22.

Iowa also retired the jerseys of former Hawkeye greats Charles “Chuck” Darling, Roy Marble and Murray Wier.

Additionally, all other retired numbers and jerseys for the Iowa men’s and women’s basketball programs are now hanging from the Carver-Hawkeye Arena rafters.

Garza swept all major postseason men’s basketball awards in 2021 (Wooden, Naismith, Associated Press, Oscar Robertson, NABC, Lute Olson, Sporting News) to become the program’s first consensus National Player of the Year. Garza is Iowa’s only two-time unanimous consensus first-team All-American and only recipient in program history of the Big Ten Jesse Owens Male Athlete of the Year.

He was named national player of the year by six national outlets in 2020, as well being a two-time honoree of the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year and Pete Newell Big Man of the Year.

RECENT GRADUATES PLAYING PROFESSIONAL BASKETBALL
A number of recent Iowa basketball graduates are playing professionally: Joe Wieskamp (NBA San Antonio Spurs), Luka Garza (NBA Detroit Pistons), Jarrod Uthoff (Japan), Devyn Marble (Israel), Tyler Cook (NBA Chicago Bulls), Anthony Clemmons (Italy), Gabriel Olaseni (Turkey), Ryan Kriener (Matsuyama), Bakari Evelyn (Germany), Peter Jok (France), Melsahn Basabe (Puerto Rico), and Aaron White (Serbia).

COACHING EXPERIENCE
Fran McCaffery has the most experienced coaching staffs in the country. The Iowa men’s basketball staff has 75 years of combined collegiate head coaching experience and more than 125 years of collegiate coaching under their belts.

ON THE HORIZON
All 14 Big Ten school will converge in Indianapolis for the 2022 Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament, March 9-13.