IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa men’s basketball sophomore Keegan Murray has been named first team All-America by the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) on Thursday.
Joining Murray on the five-player All-America first team are Kofi Cockburn of Illinois, Wisconsin’s Johnny Davis, Ochai Agbaji of Kansas and Kentucky’s Oscar Tshiebwe.
As a result of Murray being voted first-team All-America by the Associated Press, USBWA and Sporting News, and second team by the National Association of Basketball Coaches, Murray is a consensus first-team All-American.
After 67 years without a consensus first team All-American, Iowa has had an honoree each of the last three seasons. Murray becomes the program’s fourth consensus first team All-American joining Murray Wier (1948), Charles Darling (1952), and Luka Garza (2020 and 2021).
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
• Consensus First Team All-America
• Sporting News First Team All-America
• Associated Press First Team All-America
• USBWA First Team All-America
• The Athletic First Team All-America
• NABC Second Team All-America Team
• 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)