Kris Murray

IOWA CITY — University of Iowa junior forward Kris Murray has been named to the Oscar Robertson Trophy Midseason Watch List. The announcement was made Thursday by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association.

The USBWA’s list highlights 50 outstanding players from 18 different conferences. Murray is also on the Wooden Award Midseason Top 25 and the Karl Malone Award Watch List.

Former Hawkeye Luka Garza won the Oscar Robertson Player of the Year Trophy in 2021.

Murray (6-foot-8, 220 pounds) is averaging a team-best 21.2 points and nine rebounds per outing. He has increased his scoring average by 12.5 points per game this season compared to last year.

The Cedar Rapids native has scored 30 or more points four times this season (30 vs. Indiana; 32 at Penn State; 31 vs. Georgia Tech; 30 vs. Omaha). He is one of six players nationally with four or more 30-point performances and is the only one from a Power 5 conference. He is one of four Hawkeyes to score 30 points at least four times in the Fran McCaffery era, joining Luka Garza (13), Keegan Murray (5) and Peter Jok (5).

Murray missed four contests in December due to a lower body injury (Iowa State; Wisconsin; Southeast Missouri State; Eastern Illinois). He has scored 20-plus points in 50 percent of games played this season (7-of-14). Murray has averaged 25 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 2.8 3-pointers made over the last five outings.