Fran McCaffery Expecting Big Junior Season from Kris Murray

Iowa Coach Sees Son, Connor, Returning; Looking to Add Big Man

Iowa coach Fran McCaffery (right) talks with Kris Murray during a stoppage in play of a Big Ten Tournament game against Northwestern on March 10, 2022 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. (Rob Howe/HawkeyeNation.com)

IOWA CITY, Iowa - K. Murray could be the go-to guy on Iowa’s basketball team for a second straight season in 2022-23.

Kris, that is, not Keegan. It looks like the NBA will split up the twins, who have been playing basketball together since their dad, Kenyon, first put a ball in their hands. Keegan’s consensus all-America sophomore season means he’ll likely hear his name called at the 2022 NBA Draft on June 23.

Kris is also coming off a breakout season. He was Iowa’s fourth-leading scorer at 9.7 points a game after scoring a total of eight points in 13 games as a freshman.

“He’s going to be great next year,” Iowa Coach Fran McCaffery predicted. 

Being separated from his brother will be different, but McCaffery sees some positives. 

“It will be Kris’s deal now,” McCaffery said. “I’m happy for him.”

But chances are good that another set of brothers will return next season. Patrick McCaffery, who will be a junior forward, will be the team’s leading returning scorer at 10.5 points a game. Senior guard Connor McCaffery has another season of eligibility if he wants to use it, and appears to be leaning in that direction.

“Connor went through senior night, but I think he’ll come back,” Iowa Coach Fran McCaffery said. “But he’s sorting through some things, and he’s got some options. We’ll see.” 

McCaffery said that senior center Filip Rebraca, who started all 36 games last season, will also return.

Iowa adds two guards in 6-3 point guard Dasante Bowen from Brewster Academy and Josh Dix, a 6-5 combo guard from Council Bluffs Lincoln. Dix is expected to be ready to go this fall after suffering a broken tibia and fibula in a game against LeMars in late January. 

McCaffery has a scholarship to give with Keegan Murray’s expected departure. 

“We’ll be trying to get a big guy,” said McCaffery, with the transfer portal one option in his search.

There could also be some roster changes going forward. McCaffery will have individual meetings with his players in the near future. 

Asked if he would have anyone leaving the program, McCaffery said, “I don’t know, but I think somebody will at some point.” 

Kris Murray showed glimpses of what he can do all season, including a 29-point outburst in a home victory over Indiana and 23-point game in a home loss to Purdue. He scored in double figures 16 times last season. Kris made 43 of 111 3-pointers (38.7 percent) and also averaged 4.3 rebounds to go with 31 blocked shots and 29 steals.

“He would get in foul trouble at times,” McCaffery said. “He’s got to get better at that and I think he will. He’s got to stay out of foul trouble so he can stay on the floor. He’s going to shoot a high number from 3. He’s going to drive the ball, rebound and block shots. You’re going to see his numbers go way up.”

Having Connor McCaffery back will give the Hawkeyes a lot of experience, and a coach on the floor. He was a two-sport athlete, also playing baseball, but it’s only basketball in his future now. 

“Basically, he got cheated out of his baseball career,” McCaffery said. “He had a great fall two years ago. The team was really in a good place. And they cancel the season (due to COVID-19). Then he had surgery (on both hips) so he missed two baseball seasons in a row. He really tried to get up to speed last fall, but it just didn’t work out for him.” 

This fall could be different for Connor, who played through back, ankle and shoulder injuries on the court in 2021-22.

“Assuming he comes back, he’ll play basketball this fall,” McCaffery said. “I think it might be nice for him to go through the summer and fall healthy.”

Patrick McCaffery is another player who is poised to take his game up to another level as a junior. He started all 32 games he played last season, made 33 3-pointers and shot 71.4 percent from the free-throw line. His length and ability to play inside or out on offense gives the Hawkeyes a lot of options.

Another player poised for a big run in 2022-23 is guard Tony Perkins. He started the final 15 games last season. He averaged 11.4 points over the final nine games.

A junior-to-be from Lawrence North High School in Indianapolis, Ind., Iowa assistant Coach Sherm Dillard was tipped off to Perkins by his legendary high school coach, Jack Keefer. McCaffery joined Dillard on a recruiting trip to see Perkins play.

“I thought he played really well,” McCaffery said. “(Coach) Keefer said to me, “He’s good, coach.”

Perkins’ play down the stretch last season has him in position to be one of Iowa’s go-to guys in 2022-23.

“He got better last season, and he’s going to keep getting better,” McCaffery said. “He’s a gamer, a tough kid. He’s a tough dude. I love him.”

Iowa loses 157 3-pointers from last season in Keegan Murray and Jordan Bohannon. Kris Murray, Payton Sandfort and Patrick McCaffery will be expected to fill that void. 

Sandfort made 34 of 93 triples last season as a freshman. None were bigger than the two he made against Purdue in the Big Ten Championship game on consecutive possessions inside of 9 minutes remaining that gave Iowa a 57-51 lead.

“He’s going to be special,” McCaffery said.

Four more scholarship players will return in guards Joe Toussaint and Ahron Ulis and post players Josh Ogundele and Riley Mulvey.

Toussaint, a senior, brings a wealth of experience. He’s logged 41 starts in 98 games, and was a sparkplug on defense off the bench the second half of last season. Ulis, a junior, played 486 minutes in 35 appearances last season, averaging 3.1 points with 73 assists and 19 steals. 

McCaffery said that Iowa will play in the Gavitt Games next season, a series of contests against Big East schools. He also said the Hawkeyes will likely play in an exempt event in Florida. 

As for style of play, McCaffery said Iowa will remain committed to an up-tempo attack. And look for a Murray will be right in the middle of it all.