Iowa forward Kris Murray withdraws name from 2022 NBA Draft
Iowa forward Kris Murray has withdrawn his name from the 2022 NBA Draft, he announced Wednesday via Twitter. His decision comes on the final day before the deadline to withdraw.
The twin brother of Hawkeyes standout Keegan Murray, Kris will return for his third collegiate season without his brother by his side. Keegan is expected to be a lottery pick in the upcoming draft after setting the Iowa single-season scoring record as a sophomore in 2021-22.
“The last two months have been a tremendous learning process for me,” Kris Murray wrote on Twitter. “By going through the NBA Draft process, I believe it will help me in the long run and this coming season at Iowa. I could not be more excited to announced that I will be returning to Iowa City next season and I cannot wait to get back to work with my teammates and coaches to play for the best fan base in the world!”
Kris Murray was an equally important part of the Hawkeyes’ success this past season, averaging 9.7 points per game in 17.9 minutes off the bench. He improved his scoring average from his freshman season by 9.1 points, earning him Iowa’s in-house award for most improved player. The 6-foot-8 forward will hope for an even greater jump in 2022-23 as he hopes to improve his NBA Draft stock and join his brother in the league.
Kris Murray entered his name in the NBA Draft on April 14. He trained in Chicago in May with his brother, and worked out for NBA executives and scouts at Priority Sports’ Pro Day on May 21. He was invited to the NBA Draft Combine, but opted not to participate.
Iowa is coming off of a 26-10 season that earned them a five seed in the 2022 NCAA Tournament. There they suffered a loss to Richmond in the first round, but will look to come back strong next season. They’ll have to deal with not only the loss of Keegan Murray, but also second-leading scorer Jordan Bohannon.
With that in mind, the stage is set for Kris Murray and forward Patrick McCaffery to take on larger roles in 2022-23.