A consensus All-American and the Big Ten Tournament MVP, Keegan Murray broke out as a sophomore at Iowa. On the year, he averaged 23.5 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 1.5 APG, 1.3 SPG, 2 BPG, and 1.1 TOPG on shooting splits of 55/40/75/. Below is his full scouting report:
Name: Keegan Murray
Height/Weight: 6’8/215 (will update after NBA Draft Combine)
Wingspan/ standing reach: N/A
Hand size: N/A
Position: Forward
Pre-Draft team: Iowa
Tools: Scoring, defense, versatility
Pros:
- Productive player with 3 level scoring upside
- Ability to handle the ball and playmake
- High effort rebounder
- Elite in transition
- Good cutter + capable P&R roll man
- Finishes and handles with both hands
- Good shot blocking instincts
- Good athleticism; can finish above the rim in the traffic, and from a standstill
- Moves his feet well on the perimeter defensively
- Protects the ball well and limits turnovers despite high usage
- Finishes well through contact
- Skilled in the post
Cons:
- Bit of a tweener, plays like a big with wing size
- A bit old for his class
- Struggles with movement 3s
- Mediocre recovery ability on perimeter drives
Overall:
Keegan Murray is a two-way 3 level scoring forward that can score at a high level while being a positive defender. He also impacts the game as a playmaker, rebounder, cutter, and as both a pick & roll ball handler and a P&R roll man.
Defensively, Keegan Murray has quick feet that allow him to guard both wings/guards and offensive-minded forwards. His basketball IQ guides him towards the right spots on the floor, rarely allowing for mental lapses and missed rotations. Murray checks the boxes as a positive defender due to his off-ball defense and on-ball defense, which has allowed him to hold his own against some of the best offensive players in the Big 10. Additionally, Keegan Murray recorded a block in more games than the #1 shot blocker in the draft, Walker Kessler did, which speaks volumes to Murray’s defensive intensity and skill.
Offensively, Keegan Murray can do just about everything, and he does all of those things at a high level. Murray’s offensive game has virtually no holes in it, including an elite turnover rate. Despite one of the highest usage rates in the Big 10, he also had one of the lowest turnover rates – and this can be scaled up to across the country. Murray’s ability to create for himself in a variety of ways is impressive, and he should translate well to the NBA’s quick tempo based on how well he did in possessions under 15 seconds, which is fast for the NCAA.
Murray takes advantage of mismatches well, being able to post up smaller players, and knowing how to take advantage of bad defenders or players out of position. His ability to draw fouls complements his shooting ability well, and he converts his free throw at a good rate. Although Murray shoots well off the dribble and in simple catch and shoot situations, he needs to get better at hitting moving jumpers, particularly off the catch, to become truly elite offensively. This would make him a strong off-ball threat as well as a dominant on-ball scorer.
Similar to: Marcus Morris, Danny Granger, Trey Lyles
Projected draft range: 5-9
Expected role: Two-way forward that can be relied upon not to make many mistakes.
Unplayable if: Highly unlikely he becomes unplayable, but if the tweener label & shooting don’t scale up, he may struggle to consistently see the court in high-pressure situations
Exceeds expectations if: Movement shooting comes along, and the “tweener” label turns into a strength because of versatility.
Videos:
Shot chart:
