IOWA CITY – University of Iowa men’s basketball junior forward Kris Murray was named on Thursday to the Karl Malone Award Top 10 and the Naismith National Player of the Year Midseason Team by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and Atlanta Tipoff Club, respectively.
Fans can support Murray by participating in Karl Malone Fan Voting starting Friday, Feb. 10, at hoophallawards.com. The Fan Vote will count as one committee vote during the finalist selection process.
Murray’s twin brother, Keegan Murray, was the recipient of the 2022 Karl Malone Award, becoming the first Big Ten player to earn the distinction that recognizes the top power forward in Division I college basketball. Named after Class of 2010 Hall of Famer and two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Karl Malone, the annual honor is in its ninth year. Former Hawkeye Luka Garza was the recipient of the 2021 Naismith National Player of the Year trophy, and earned the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award back-to-back seasons in 2020 and 2021.
Murray is also on the Wooden Award Late Season Top 20 and Oscar Robertson Midseason lists.
Murray (6-foot-8, 220 pounds) is averaging a team-best 20.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per outing. The Cedar Rapids, Iowa, native has scored 30+ points four times this season (30 vs. Indiana; 32 at Penn State; 31 vs. Georgia Tech; 30 vs. Omaha). Murray is one of 14 players nationally with four or more 30-point performances this season. He is one of four Hawkeyes to score 30+ at least four times in the Fran McCaffery era, joining Luka Garza (13), Keegan Murray (5), and Peter Jok (5).
In March, five finalists will be presented to Malone and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee. The Selection Committee for the Karl Malone Award is composed of top men’s college basketball personnel including media members, head coaches, sports information directors and Hall of Famers.
