Keegan Murray
Murray with Iowa in 2022
No. 13 – Sacramento Kings
PositionPower forward
LeagueNBA
Personal information
Born (2000-08-19) August 19, 2000 (age 23)
Cedar Rapids, Iowa, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
Listed weight225 lb (102 kg)
Career information
High school
CollegeIowa (2020–2022)
NBA draft2022: 1st round, 4th overall pick
Selected by the Sacramento Kings
Playing career2022–present
Career history
2022–presentSacramento Kings
Career highlights and awards
Stats Edit this at Wikidata at NBA.com
Stats Edit this at Wikidata at Basketball-Reference.com

Keegan Mitchell Murray (born August 19, 2000) is an American professional basketball player for the Sacramento Kings of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Iowa Hawkeyes before he was selected fourth overall pick by the Sacramento Kings in the 2022 NBA draft. He is the twin brother of Kris Murray.

High school career

Murray played basketball for Prairie High School in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.[1] As a senior he averaged 20.3 points and 7.2 rebounds per game and was named Metro Player of the Year.[2] Murray spent a postgraduate year at DME Academy in Daytona Beach, Florida to gain more exposure.[3] He averaged 22.1 points and 7.5 rebounds per game, earning most outstanding player honors at the National Prep School Invitational.[4][5]

College career

Murray dunking in January 2021

As a three-star recruit, Murray committed to Iowa.[6] On January 2, 2021, Murray recorded a freshman season-high 14 points, nine rebounds, three steals and three blocks in a 77–75 win over Rutgers.[7] As a freshman, he averaged 7.2 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game, earning Big Ten All-Freshman Team honors.[8] On November 16, 2021, Murray posted 27 points, 21 rebounds and four blocks in an 86–69 win against North Carolina Central. It was the first 20-point, 20-rebound game by an Iowa player since Bruce King in 1977.[9] On November 29, he suffered an ankle injury during a 75-74 win over Virginia, forcing him to miss a game.[10] On December 18, Murray scored 35 points in a 94-75 victory over Utah State.[11] He scored a career-high 37 points on February 13, 2022, in a 98-75 win against Nebraska.[12] As a sophomore, Murray was named to the First Team All-Big Ten,[13] and won the Karl Malone Award as the nation's top power forward.[14] Additionally, he helped lead the Hawkeyes to a 2022 Big Ten men's basketball tournament championship, being named Big Ten tournament Most Outstanding Player. On March 29, 2022, Murray declared for the 2022 NBA draft, forgoing his remaining college eligibility.[15]

Professional career

Sacramento Kings (2022–present)

In the 2022 NBA draft, Murray was selected with the fourth overall pick by the Sacramento Kings.[16] He made his summer league debut on July 2 against the Golden State Warriors, putting up 26 points and eight rebounds in an 86–68 win.[17] Murray was named NBA Summer League MVP averaging 23 points, seven rebounds, two assists, one steal, while shooting 50% from the field and 40% from three-point range. He was also named to the All-NBA Summer League First Team.[18] On October 22, Murray made his regular season debut, putting up 19 points, five rebounds, and two blocks in a 111–109 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.[19]

On January 20, 2023, Murray put up a then career-high 29 points and a career-high 14 rebounds in a 118–113 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.[20] On March 29, Murray made his 188th career three-pointer against the Portland Trail Blazers, surpassing Donovan Mitchell's previous record (187) for the most three-pointers made in a season by a rookie in NBA history.[21] He finished his rookie season with 206 three-pointers.[22] Murray was named to the 2023 NBA All-Rookie First Team.[23]

On December 16, 2023, Murray put up a career-high 47 points on 12-of-15 shooting from three-point range, including a league-record 11 made three-pointers in a row, in a 125–104 win over the Utah Jazz.[24] He also became the youngest player in NBA history to make at least 12 three-pointers in a game at 23 years and 119 days old, surpassing the previous record set by Kobe Bryant at 24 years and 137 days old.[25]

Career statistics

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

NBA

Regular season

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2022–23 Sacramento 80 78 29.8 .453 .411 .765 4.6 1.2 .8 .5 12.2
2023–24 Sacramento 30 30 33.1 .452 .368 .811 5.7 1.6 1.2 .4 15.6
Career 110 108 30.7 .453 .399 .784 4.9 1.3 .9 .5 13.1

Playoffs

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2023 Sacramento 7 7 27.7 .448 .375 .667 6.3 .7 .6 .3 9.7
Career 7 7 27.7 .448 .375 .667 6.3 .7 .6 .3 9.7

College

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2020–21 Iowa 31 4 18.0 .506 .296 .755 5.1 .5 .8 1.3 7.2
2021–22 Iowa 35 35 31.9 .554 .398 .747 8.7 1.5 1.3 1.9 23.5
Career 66 39 25.4 .543 .373 .749 7.0 1.0 1.1 1.6 15.8

Personal life

Murray's father, Kenyon, played college basketball for Iowa.[26] Murray and his twin brother, Kris, were teammates throughout high school and college.[27] Kris was selected as a late first-round pick in the 2023 draft and now plays for the Portland Trail Blazers.

References

  1. ^ Goffin, Isaac (November 18, 2020). "Murray twins excited to compete together at college level". The Daily Iowan. Retrieved May 24, 2021.
  2. ^ Johnson, Jeff (March 10, 2019). "Prairie's Keegan Murray named all-Metro boys' basketball player of the year". The Gazette. Retrieved May 24, 2021.
  3. ^ Hensley, Adam (April 13, 2020). "Under The Radar: Keegan And Kris Murray's Journey To Iowa Basketball". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved May 24, 2021.
  4. ^ Johnson, Jeff (April 1, 2020). "Iowa commits Keegan and Kris Murray hit home run at DME Sports Academy". The Gazette. Retrieved May 24, 2021.
  5. ^ "Keegan Murray". University of Iowa Athletics. 17 June 2020. Retrieved May 24, 2021.
  6. ^ Johnson, Jeff (October 21, 2019). "Keegan and Kris Murray commit to Iowa basketball, following in their dad's footsteps". The Gazette. Retrieved May 24, 2021.
  7. ^ Hlas, Mike (January 2, 2021). "Keegan Murray gives Iowa men's basketball a lot of good things in win over Rutgers". The Gazette. Retrieved May 24, 2021.
  8. ^ Emmert, Mark (March 26, 2021). "Keegan Murray, Patrick McCaffery will define next year's Iowa basketball season … and beyond". Hawk Central. Retrieved May 24, 2021.
  9. ^ "Murray Goes for 27/21 In Iowa Victory". University of Iowa Athletics. November 16, 2021. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
  10. ^ Smith, Kennington (December 3, 2021). "Iowa basketball star Keegan Murray to miss Purdue game due to ankle injury". Hawk Central. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
  11. ^ "Murray twins lead Iowa to 94-75 romp over Utah State". ESPN. Associated Press. December 18, 2021. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  12. ^ "Murray scores career-high 37 as Iowa pummels Nebraska 98-75". ESPN. Associated Press. February 13, 2022. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  13. ^ "2021-22 Big Ten Men's Basketball Postseason Honors Announced" (Press release). Big Ten Conference. March 8, 2022. Retrieved March 8, 2022.
  14. ^ "Keegan Murray wins Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award". dailyiowan.com. April 2, 2022. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
  15. ^ "Iowa All-American Murray is entering NBA draft". ESPN.com. March 29, 2022. Retrieved March 29, 2022.
  16. ^ Thanawalla, Ali (June 24, 2022). "Welcome to Sac: Kings draft Keegan Murray with No. 4 pick". NBC Sports. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
  17. ^ Thanawalla, Ali (July 3, 2022). "Kings' Murray stars in impressive California Classic debut". NBC Sports. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
  18. ^ "Kings rookie Keegan Murray named MVP of NBA 2K23 Summer League". www.nba.com. Retrieved 2022-07-21.
  19. ^ Samillano, Gerard (October 23, 2022). "'It meant everything to me': Keegan Murray's message to Kings fans after standout debut". ClutchPoints. Retrieved October 23, 2022.
  20. ^ Biderman, Chris (January 20, 2023). "Kings rookie Keegan Murray shows 'a little wiggle' in career night against Oklahoma City". The Sacramento Bee. Retrieved January 29, 2023.
  21. ^ Pagaduan, Jedd (March 29, 2023). "Kings forward Keegan Murray surpasses Donovan Mitchell, Steph Curry with insane rookie 3PT feat". ClutchPoints. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
  22. ^ Rodriguez, Tristi. "Why McNair believes Murray was NBA's most impactful rookie". Retrieved 18 May 2023.
  23. ^ Staff, John Hollinger and The Athletic. "Banchero, Kessler among NBA All-Rookie Team". The Athletic. Retrieved 2023-05-12.
  24. ^ "Kings' Murray drops 47, hits record 11 straight 3s". ESPN. 17 December 2023. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  25. ^ Guinhawa, Angelo (December 16, 2023). "Warriors' Stephen Curry can't believe Keegan Murray's 12-triple feat in Kings vs. Jazz". ClutchPoints. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
  26. ^ Saville, Scott (January 9, 2021). "Cedar Rapids native Keegan Murray making waves for Hawkeyes". KCRG-TV. Retrieved May 24, 2021.
  27. ^ Bock, Sean (November 23, 2020). "Keegan Murray impressing teammates, coaches early as a freshman". 247Sports. Retrieved May 24, 2021.

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