ESPN (Rightfully) Ranks Keegan Murray #1 Player in March Madness

Keegan Murray has been on an absolute tear this season for the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Though 34 games, Murray is averaging 23.6 points, 8.6 rebounds, 2 blocks, and 1.3 steals in 31.6 minutes per game.

Throughout the Big Ten Conference Tournament, he averaged 25.8 points per game (103 points total) and nine rebounds en route to being named tournament MVP and breaking the previous tournament scoring record held by Ohio State's Duane Washington Jr. (92).

Yesterday, he was voted to be a first team All-American by the Associated Press (AP).

It's only fitting that ESPN ranked him the No.1 player in the entire NCAA Tournament, too.

This is what the author of the article, John Gasaway had to say about Murray:

Murray is the best player in the country right now. The word hasn't quite gotten through yet, but it is indeed the case. Murray carries a number for possession usage at KenPom that's virtually identical to what Zion Williamson showed in 2019, but the Hawkeye boasts a slightly higher offensive rating.

Seven other players from the Big Ten are on the list:

8. Johnny Davis, Wisconsin

11. Kofi Cockburn, Illinois

13. Jaden Ivey, Purdue

17. Trayce Jackson-Davis, Indiana

20. E.J. Liddell, Ohio State

24. Zach Edey, Purdue

After defeating Purdue in the finals of the Big Ten Tournament, the Hawkeyes are on a roll, winning nine of their last ten games, with seven of those wins coming by double digits, and their one loss to Illinois (who was the one-seed in the tournament), was by two points.

Iowa will face off with the Richmond Spiders in a 5 vs. 12 matchup this afternoon at 2:10 p.m. on TruTV.

The Spiders won the Atlantic 10 Tournament en route to earning an automatic bid to March Madness. They finished the season with a 23-12 record.

They've got three players who average double-figures in scoring per contest in Tyler Burton (16.3), Grant Golden (14.1), and Jacob Gilyard (13.3). The team averages 71.7 points per game and allows 68.3.

Richmond played Northern Iowa on December 5, defeating the Panthers in the McLeod Center 60-52.