IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa sophomore forward Keegan Murray, sixth year senior Jordan Bohannon, and redshirt sophomore Patrick McCaffery have earned postseason recognition by the league head coaches and selected media panel, the Big Ten Conference announced on Tuesday.
Murray was a unanimous first team selection by both the media and coaches, marking the third straight season a Hawkeye has been a unanimous first team selection (Luka Garza in 2020 and 2021). Murray was also tabbed a unanimous first-team all-conference honoree by the Associated Press. Bohannon earned honorable mention recognition, while McCaffery is the recipient of Iowa’s Big Ten Men’s Basketball Sportsmanship Award.
Head coach Fran McCaffery has coached a first-team All-Big Ten honoree in seven of the last nine seasons, the most over a nine-year span since 1944-52. Murray joins Devyn Marble (2014), Aaron White (2015), Jarrod Uthoff (2016), Peter Jok (2017), and Garza (2020 and 2021) as first team selections.
Murray (6-foot-8, 225 pounds) ranks first in the country in Player Efficiency Rating (37.8); fourth in points per game (23.3); 29th in field goal percentage (.554); 39th in blocks per contest (2.1); and 46th in double-doubles (9). His 23.3 points per game average is tops among players from a major conference.
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.
The Cedar Rapids, Iowa, native 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 was voted to the five-player All-Big Ten Freshman Team a year ago, has tallied 20+ points 22 times and 25+ points 13 times this season, both of which rank first among players from major conferences. He has scored 30 points or more four times, the most ever by a Hawkeye underclassman (freshman or sophomore) in a single season.
Bohannon has earned postseason conference recognition for a fifth time, earning third team accolades as a junior, honorable mention honors three times, and voted to the All-Freshman Team in 2017.
The native of Marion, Iowa, ranks second on the team in points per game (10.9) and assists (1.7), and first in 3-pointers per game (2.45).
Bohannon has earned postseason conference recognition for a fifth time, voted to the third team as a junior, honorable mention three times, and voted to the All-Freshman Team in 2017.
The native of Marion, Iowa, ranks second on the team in points (10.9) and assists per game (1.7), and first in 3-pointers per game (2.45).
Bohannon is the program’s career leader in four statistical categories: assists (692), 3-pointers made (440), games played (174), and free throw percentage (.887, 361-407). Bohannon 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 440 triples are the most in Big Ten history and second most by a player from a major conference (457 by Duke’s J.J. Reddick) in NCAA history. He ranks third in career scoring at Iowa (1,975) and eighth in field goals made (587). He is believed to be the only Division I player to amass more than 675 assists and 440 3-pointers.
McCaffery ranks third on the team in points per game (10.5), and fourth in rebounds (3.8) and blocks (0.5) per contest. The Iowa City native has been playing his best basketball the past month. He has netted double figures in scoring eight of the last 13 games played.
Joining Murray on the first team, by both coaches and media, were Kofi Cockburn of Illinois, Ohio State’s E.J. Liddell, Jaden Ivey of Purdue, and Wisconsin’s Johnny Davis. Purdue’s Trevion Williams was named Sixth Man of the Year by the coaches. The All-Defensive Team consisted of Trent Frazier (Illinois), Trayce Jackson-Davis (Indiana), E.J. Liddell (Ohio State), Caleb McConnell (Rutgers), and Eric Hunter Jr. (Purdue).
Both the media and coaches voted Greg Gard of Wisconsin as the league’s Coach of the Year. The coaches selected McConnell as Defensive Player of the Year and both groups named Ohio State’s Malaki Branham as Freshman of the Year.
No. 24 Iowa (22-9, 12-8) will open Big Ten Tournament play on Thursday in the second round versus Northwestern or Nebraska. Tipoff is scheduled for approximately 1 p.m. (CT) at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
First-Team All-Big Ten: Keegan Murray (unanimous)
Honorable Mention All-Big Ten: Jordan Bohannon
Sportsmanship Award: Patrick McCaffery
2022 KEEGAN MURRAY HONORS
• Sporting News First Team All-America
• All-Big Ten First Team honoree (unanimous)
• Associated Press All-Big Ten First Team selection (unanimous)
• John R. Wooden Award National Ballot (Semifinalist)
• Naismith Player of the Year Trophy Midseason Team
• Lute Olson National Player of the Year Midseason List
• Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Finalist
• The Athletic Midseason Second Team All-America
• Naismith Trophy National Player of the Week (Feb. 14)
• Big Ten Co-Player of the Week (March 7)
• Big Ten Player of the Week (Feb. 28)
• Big Ten Co-Player of the Week (Feb. 14)
• Big Ten Player of the Week (Jan. 3)
• Big Ten Player of the Week (Dec. 20)
• Big Ten Co-Player of the Week (Nov. 22)
