Iowa Hawkeyes forward Keegan Murray (15) during a photo shoot at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, IA on Monday, September 13, 2021. (Stephen Mally/hawkeyesports.com)

IOWA CITY, Iowa – University of Iowa sophomore forward Keegan Murray has been named a finalist for the 2022 Lute Olson Men’s Basketball Player of the Year and the Lefty Driesell Defensive Player of the Year awards.

Former Hawkeye Luka Garza was the recipient of the 2021 Lute Olson Award. The award, which has been presented annually to the top Division I college basketball player since 2010, is named in honor of Hall of Fame coach Lute Olson. He won 776 games in 34 seasons, nine of which were spent at the University of Iowa. Olson, who passed away last August, is one of 25 head coaches in NCAA history to win 700 or more games (all divisions) and ranks ninth on the Division I career victories list. Olson is the all-time winningest coach at Arizona (587-190, .755) and third winningest coach in Iowa history (167-91, .647).

Murray becomes the first Hawkeye to be named a finalist for the Lefty Driesell Award. The award, which is presented annually to the top defensive player in Division I basketball, is named in honor of the legendary former coach. Driesell won 786 games in 41 years at Davidson, Maryland, James Madison and Georgia State. He ranks eighth on the NCAA career Division I coaches victories list and his teams at each stop were known for playing tenacious defense.

Earlier this month, Murray became the program’s fourth consensus first-team All-American, joining Murray Wier (1948), Charles Darling (1952), and Garza (2020 and 2021).

Murray is also a Wooden Award Semifinalist and a Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Finalist.

Murray (6-foot-8, 225 pounds) ranks first in the country in Player Efficiency Rating (37.8); fourth in points per game (23.5); 34th in field goal percentage (.554); 46th in blocks per contest (1.94); and 51st in double-doubles (10). His 23.5 points per game average is tops among players from a major conference and marks the third consecutive season a Hawkeye has led the Big Ten in scoring (Garza in 2020 and 2021). Murray is the only player nationally to average 23+ points and 8+ rebounds this season.