On the night of the NBA prize lottery earlier this month, Keegan Murray from Iowa posed for a picture. He held the hats of the teams that drew the first five spades in the draft on June 23.
“When I saw the picture, I said to Michelle, ‘Man, just imagine, three years ago we were trying to figure out how we were going to pay them to go to DME,'” Canyon Murray said.
Life comes to you fast. Kenyon, a former Iowa basketball player, and wife Michelle have found the means to send twins Keegan and Chris to the DME Sports Academy in Dayton Beach, Florida.
The colleges did not show much interest in the couple at Cedar Rapids Prairie. The Mareys hoped that the preparatory school would change that. And then Iowa called.
And now, after two seasons as Havkeies, the twins have worked for NBA teams in preparation for the draft.
Some fake drafts state that Keegan is going to one of those top five teams and is certainly somewhere in the Top 10. He could become the Iowa player with the most drafts ever. Fred Brown has that recognition, who went to Seattle with the sixth pick in 1971. Keegan should become the 10th pick of the first round of Iowa, and the first since Ricky Davis in 1998. A dozen different fake drafts led to Keegan being even fourth and low. as the eighth.
Chris also entered the draft, and made his murmur during training. He was chosen to participate in the NBA combination, but he passed. Instead, he worked with Keegan and several players including Pete Nance of Northwestern, Patrick Baldwin of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Marcus Sasser of Houston. All 30 NBA teams watched them at an event organized by Priority Sports on Saturday at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago.
Chris is still weighing his options - to return to Iowa for another season or to stay in the draft. The deadline for withdrawing from the draft is June 1. Kenion said Chris would make that decision a string.
“As of today, I have no idea what he will do,” Canyon said on Wednesday night.
While Keegan’s future is on solid ground, Chris has several attractive options ahead.
“Chris has always had confidence in himself,” Kenion said. “He may have a chance to be caught late in the first or early second round. That has yet to be decided. But I think he’s sure he’ll be back in Iowa and be able to carry the load, and be one of the main wheels on the team next year. He will shine next year in Iowa. It will be a little different from what Keegan did. But whichever way he decides, I think he will be phenomenal. “
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Keegan, the consensus of all American players last season, has a guaranteed bright future. Chris goes to every workout and still chases that dream.
“There are 30 choices (in the first round) and everyone wants that guarantee,” Kenion said. “Because it shows that the team is investing in you in the next three years. I think there must be at least a preference that will happen before he (Chris) stays in the draft. “
Keegan has signed a contract with Priority Sports, which conducts trainings in which Murray participates. Priority Sports is an NCAA certified organization, which means that they are able to represent athletes and conduct trainings and other things related to draft preparation. The Murray family has to pay the bill for Chris’ participation. Since Keegan signed with Priority Sports, his costs have been covered.
Kenyon has seen both of his sons improve since the start of training. Former Notre Dame player Kyle McAlarney, who works for Priority Sports, helped the twins improve their footwork and break free in jumping. Keegan worked to improve his handle and get to his best places on the floor. Chris improved the endurance of his lower body, which affected his shot mechanics when his legs got tired.
“With Chris, his confidence is over the roof,” Kenion said. “He gives goals to the boys, including Keegan. They had other guys from the G-League and the NBA who came to training, and he managed to score a goal and defend them. I think that raised his self-confidence to a new level. “
Keegan played with quiet confidence.
“He played himself in a position where he doesn’t necessarily have to practice,” Kenion said. “It simply came to our notice then. I think it shows people where teams have him, how much they appreciate him and his work. “
Canyon Murray has seen his sons dedicate themselves to the game for years.
“Just all the hard work they put in,” he said. “It’s a part, as a parent, that you just love. Because you want your children to have the opportunity to pursue their dreams. ”
For Keegan, the realization of that dream came in one photo and included five hats.
“It was quite touching when we saw that picture,” Kenion said.