IOWA CITY, Iowa — A familiar face is returning to the Hawkeyes after Kris Murray announced Wednesday that he is coming back to Iowa for his junior season.
Like his brother Keegan, a projected lottery pick, Kris previously declared for the 2022 NBA Draft before deciding to withdraw for another season with the Hawkeyes. The Murray brothers trained for six weeks in Chicago after the end of the 2021-22 college season. According to Des Moines Register, Kris' NBA interest grew after impressing teams during his training sessions to the point he received an invitation to the NBA combine in mid-May.
Kris reportedly declined the invitation but participated in a pro day on May 21 hosted by the agency his brother signed with, Priority Sports.
“These past two months have been a tremendous learning process for me,” Murray said. “By going through the NBA Draft process, I believe that it will help me in the long run and this upcoming season at Iowa. I can’t wait to get back to work with my teammates and coaches to play for the best fan base in the world. Go Hawks!”
The 6-foot, 8-inch forward posted career-highs in his sophomore campaign. Murray was Iowa's leading scorer and rebounder off the bench, averaging 9.7 points and 4.3 rebounds in 35 games played. He also tallied 31 blocks and 43 made three-point field goals — good for seventh and eighth most, respectively, by a Hawkeye sophomore.
“Everyone in our program is very excited to have Kris back,” said Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery. “We are happy that Kris had a positive experience going through the NBA process. He gained valuable feedback through workouts and conversations with NBA personnel. Kris will be awesome next year.”
