Iowa Forward Keegan Murray Declares for NBA Draft

Iowa forward Keegan Murray has announced he is entering the 2022 NBA Draft and plans to forgo the rest of his college eligibility.

In his sophomore season Murray averaged 23.5 points, 8.7 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game and is currently a finalist for a number of awards including the Wooden, Naismith and Lute Olson awards. ESPN currently ranks him as the fifth top prospect and he’s projected to be a lottery pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.

“I’m looking forward to showing NBA teams my versatility on both ends of the court,” Murray said about entering the draft. “I’m a lot more athletic than people realize. I’m as competitive a player as you’re going to get...I love the game of basketball and competing every single night was a blessing for me. I’m not worried about what spot I get drafted.”

Murray was key to Iowa’s success this season, exploding on the scene from a bench player to one of the nation’s top forwards. His departure will definitely be a big loss for Iowa if they want to maintain a similar level of success next year.

Iowa will also have to replace guard Joe Toussaint and forward Josh Ogundele, both of which announced that they are entering the transfer portal. Toussaint averaged 4.3 points, 3.2 assists and 1.4 steals per game in just over 17 minutes per outing this past season. Ogundele played in only 19 games, averaging 1.5 points and 1.3 rebounds in 5.2 minutes per game.