IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa junior forward Kris Murray has been named to the John R. Wooden Award Midseason Top 25. The announcement was made Wednesday evening by the Los Angeles Athletic Club.
Chosen by a poll of national college basketball experts based on their performances during the first half of the 2022-23 season, the list comprises of 25 student-athletes who are front-runners for one of the sport’s most prestigious honor.
The Hawkeyes have had a student-athlete named to the Midseason Top 25 four straight years and five of the last eight seasons. Former Hawkeye Keegan Murray was a finalist in 2022. Luka Garza was the recipient of the 2021 John R. Wooden Award and was a finalist in 2020. Jarrod Uthoff was a semifinalist in 2016.
Murray (6-foot-8, 220 pounds) is averaging a team-best 20.4 points and 9.8 rebounds per outing. He has increased his scoring average by 11.7 points per game this season compared to last year.
The Cedar Rapids, Iowa, native has scored 30+ points three times this season (32 at Penn State; 31 vs. Georgia Tech; 30 vs. Omaha). Murray is the only player from a Power 5 conference this season with three 30-point performances. He is one of five Hawkeyes to score 30+ at least three times in the Fran McCaffery era, joining Luka Garza (13), Keegan Murray (5), Peter Jok (5), and Devyn Marble (3).
Murray missed four contests in December due to a lower body injury (Iowa State; Wisconsin; Southeast Missouri State; Eastern Illinois). He has scored 20+ points in 50 percent of games played this season (5-of-10). Murray scored 22 of his game and career-best 32 points in the second half at Penn State on Jan. 1.
Murray and the Hawkeyes (8-6, 0-3) return to action on Thursday hosting No. 15 Indiana (10-3, 1-1). Tipoff is set for 8:07 p.m. (CT) on Mediacom Court at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City. The game will be televised on FS1 and broadcast on the Hawkeye Radio Network.