IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa junior forward Kris Murray has been named to the John R. Wooden Award Late Season Top 20. The announcement was made Monday evening by the Los Angeles Athletic Club.
Chosen by a poll of national college basketball experts based on their performances during the 2022-23 season thus far, the list comprises of 20 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 Late Season Top 20 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 is also on the Oscar Robertson Midseason and Karl Malone Award watch lists.
Murray (6-foot-8, 220 pounds) is averaging a team-best 20.8 points and 8.6 rebounds per outing. He has increased his scoring average by 12.1 points per game this season compared to last year.
The Cedar Rapids, Iowa, native has scored 30+ points four times this season (30 vs. Indiana; 32 at Penn State; 31 vs. Georgia Tech; 30 vs. Omaha). Murray is one of 11 players nationally with four or more 30-point performances this season. He is one of four Hawkeyes to score 30+ at least four times in the Fran McCaffery era, joining Luka Garza (13), Keegan Murray (5), and Peter Jok (5).
He has scored 20+ points in 53 percent of games played this season (9-of-17).
Murray and the Hawkeyes (13-8, 5-5) return to action on Tuesday against Northwestern (15-5, 6-3) in Iowa City. Tickets are available for purchase at hawkeyesports.com/tickets. The game will be televised nationally on Big Ten Network and broadcast on the Hawkeye Radio Network.
