IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa men’s basketball sophomore Keegan Murray received another all-district honor on Wednesday, this time by the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA).
After being selected to the National Association of Basketball Coaches’ all-district team on Tuesday, Murray was selected to the 10-player USBWA All-District VI Team. Murray’s honor on the 10-player team marks the eighth time in nine seasons that a Hawkeye has garnered all-district recognition (Devyn Marble in 2014; Aaron White in 2015; Jarrod Uthoff and Peter Jok in 2016; Jok in 2017; Tyler Cook in 2019; Luka Garza and Joe Wieskamp in 2020 and 2021; Keegan Murray in 2022).
In the past two weeks, Murray has been voted first-team All-America by Sporting News and the Associated Press, two of four outlets used by the NCAA to determine its consensus All-America teams (AP, National Association of Basketball Coaches, United States Basketball Writers Association, and Sporting News).
Murray is also a Naismith Trophy and Wooden Award Semifinalist, a Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Finalist, and named to the Lute Olson National Player of the Year Midseason List.
Murray (6-foot-8, 225 pounds) ranks first in the country in Player Efficiency Rating (38.2); fourth in points per game (23.6); 32nd in field goal percentage (.555); and 45th in blocks per contest (2.0) and double-doubles (10). His 23.6 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.
Murray averaged 7.2 points per game last year and is averaging 23.6 this season (+16.4). 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).
The Cedar Rapids, Iowa, native has tallied 20+ points 25 times and 25+ points 16 times this season, both of which rank first nationally. Murray was voted the Big Ten Tournament Most Outstanding Player after totaling a tournament record 103 points and 38 field goals made in four games in leading the Hawkeyes to their third tournament championship and first since 2006.
He has been named Big Ten Player of the Week a program-best six times this season (Nov. 22; Dec. 20; Jan. 3; Feb. 14; Feb. 28, March 6). Murray joins Ohio State’s Evan Turner (7 in 2009-10) and Purdue’s Caleb Swanigan (6 in 2016-17) as the only Big Ten players since the weekly award was introduced prior to the 1981-82 season to earn six or more weekly honors by the Big Ten in a single season.
Murray and the 16th-ranked Hawkeyes (26-9, 12-8) open NCAA Tournament play on Thursday against Richmond (23-12, 10-8) at approximately 2:10 p.m. (CT) at the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York.
2022 KEEGAN MURRAY HONORS
• Sporting News First Team All-America
• Associated Press First Team All-America
• NABC First Team All-District Team
• USBWA All-District VI Team
• All-Big Ten First Team honoree (unanimous)
• Associated Press All-Big Ten First Team selection (unanimous)
• John R. Wooden Award National Ballot (Semifinalist)
• Big Ten Tournament Most Outstanding Player and All-Tournament Team
• Naismith Player of the Year Trophy Semifinalist
• Lute Olson National Player of the Year Midseason List
• Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Finalist
• NABC First Team All-District
• 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)