ITS MURRAY TIME

Mark your calendars. June is officially Murray Appreciation Month at DME Academy. With the NCAA basketball season coming to a close and the NBA Draft on the horizon, we’re paying our respects to two of DME Academy’s most buzz-worthy alumni, Keegan and Kris Murray. 

Despite their 3-star recruit status coming out of high school, the 6-foot-8 Murray twins are both knocking on the door of NBA stardom. While they didn’t receive the college recruiting attention that they deserved, the twins never gave up on their basketball dreams. 

"I've always bet on myself," said Keegan at the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago. "I know that the work will take care of itself, so for me I just put my head down and worked when the cameras weren't on and just really believed in myself.”

So what did betting on himself entail? It meant that he and Kris would hop on a flight down to Daytona Beach to pursue a post-grad year at DME Academy, where they’d have the opportunity to display their skills in one of the country’s most competitive basketball conferences. 

It turned out that betting on themselves would be one of the best decisions that Keegan and Kris ever made. The twins put the world on notice at the DME Jamboree in October of 2019, where their stunning performances against schools like IMG Academy and MontVerde Academy helped them garner interest from schools across the SEC and ACC. Their post grad-year paid off in dividends, allowing Keegan and Kris to each secure Division I scholarships to the University of Iowa, where they immediately became integral parts of Fran McCaffery’s program.

During the 2022 basketball season Keegan averaged 23.5 points, 8.7 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game while leading the Hawkeyes to their first Big Ten Tournament championship since 2006. He shot 55.4%, 39.8% on 3s and 74.7% at the free-throw line.

Keegan credits Kris for being a critical piece of his success. “During games when I would get subbed out, I’d go talk to Kris and ask him what he sees off the court compared to what I see on the court,” he said. “He was a really big key to my success my freshman year.” 

Coming off of a dominant year with the Hawkeyes, Keegan is projected to be selected with the 6th pick in this year’s NBA Draft. Meanwhile, Kris plans to return to Iowa next season to pursue a Big 10 championship while simultaneously elevating his NBA Draft stock. 

“We couldn’t be more proud of Keegan and Kris,” says Dan Panaggio, Co-Founder of DME Academy. “They each put in so much work to get where they are today, and we’re honored that DME Academy was able to be such an integral part of their journey.”

From their humble beginnings in an empty high school gym, to a sold out Carver Hawkeye Arena, to a chance to play on basketball’s biggest stage, the Murray twins have climbed the ranks of the basketball world, rung by rung. 

Are you ready to bet on yourself? Click here to get in contact with our team so you can learn more about what it takes to #IgniteTheDream at DME Academy.