Leistikow: How Iowa basketball's Kris Murray is different (and in some ways better than) twin brother Keegan

MINNEAPOLIS − Politely and with a smile, Kris Murray sheepishly relayed that he’s getting a little worn down with constant comparisons to identical twin brother Keegan. But naturally at Big Ten Conference Media Days at the Target Center with a fresh new batch of reporters, a fresh barrage of comparison questions rolled in Tuesday.

“I’ll talk about him, because he deserves it,” Iowa’s junior forward said of the budding rookie sensation and No. 4 overall draft pick with the NBA's Sacramento Kings. “What he’s done is really special with the university, and what he’s doing with the Kings now. … But we’re turning a new page. He moved on to better things, and we’re looking forward to this season.”

Iowa 13^th-year coach Fran McCaffery stressed at his team’s media day back in Iowa City that Kris is his own player, and he emphasized that point to the wider Big Ten Network audience that the only real similarity between the two is that they look (exactly) alike.

“At some point it's got to be, 'OK, enough.' Kris is here,” McCaffery said. “And Keegan’s going to be rookie of the year for the Kings.”

More:Leistikow's thoughts from Iowa basketball media day: Confident team with (valid) high hopes

So, with that backdrop in mind, let’s take a look at how Kris is about to write his own Hawkeye story and is expected to take a big jump forward from last year’s averages of 9.7 points and 17.9 minutes per game.

Now, naturally, Keegan’s name comes up constantly when Kris gets discussed. But the differences should be apparent when the season starts. Here’s what fans and viewers can expect.

Kris might shoot 45% or better from 3.

“I always thought I shot the ball better than him,” Kris said. “I’ve been working more off the dribble, shooting-wise and scoring at all three levels.”

Because the twins have played together for forever, they naturally couldn’t play the same positions. So, Keegan played closer to the basket, and Kris played on the perimeter. That’s one reason Kris has been a better 3-point shooter than his brother, who was 39.8% from deep (66-for-166) a year ago, including an unforgettable 8-for-10 display in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals vs. Indiana.

Purdue coach Matt Painter provided a great perspective on this topic Tuesday. He saw Kris Murray up close last season in West Lafayette, when Keegan sat out with an ankle injury. Kris only scored 12 points on 5-of-10 shooting that Friday night, but Painter believes that Murray’s 38.7% accuracy from 3 a year ago (43-for-111) could go way up this year because he’ll now be getting much heavier minutes.

“When minutes fluctuate, you're not going to be as consistent as you would if you played 30 every single night,” Painter said. “Especially from a shooting standpoint.”

Painter’s scouting report on 6-foot-8 Kris was on point, and he would know. Kris scored 23 points in the next Iowa-Purdue meeting at Carver-Hawkeye Arena when Keegan got in foul trouble.

“He makes those little floaters around the rim, those intermediate shots that are kind of in between, that a lot of people don't consistently make,” Painter said. “He makes those to go along with his ability to shoot 3s and drive the ball. And he was a really good player inside. But there has to be a need. And with their personnel last year, he was one of the next guys. Now he'll be one of the main guys. So, I expect him to have an all-conference type season. I hope he doesn't have it against Purdue.

“There’s a reason he got invited to the (NBA) Combine, right? Those guys make mistakes. They don't make very many. He deserved to be one of the best guys there.”

More:Leistikow: Kris Murray's determination to craft his own Iowa basketball legacy

Kris will be a distributor. But how often?

“I’m more of a willing passer,” Kris said. “I like to make my teammates happy, just make winning plays.”

Not that Keegan didn’t make winning plays for a 26-win Iowa team. But Kris’ comments relate to his unselfishness with the basketball, which will be interesting to see unfold. Keegan had more of a scorer’s mentality, with 52 assists in 35 games. He shattered Luka Garza’s single-season scoring record at Iowa, with 822 points (23.9 per game).

Keegan played the “4” position in McCaffery’s high-powered offense, and now Kris gets that role almost exclusively this winter − with the ability to flex to the “5” when Iowa wants to play smaller. But the difference is you might see him drive-and-dish more, especially with long wing players like Patrick McCaffery and Payton Sandfort camping out behind the 3-point line. Could Kris lead the team in points, rebounds and assists this season?

Slow down on that, the head coach said.

“I would say points and rebounds. I don’t know about assists,” McCaffery said. “… He prides himself in getting rid of it. But I’d rather him average 20 (points) a game than lead us in assists, if we can arrange that.”

More:Breaking down Iowa basketball's newly released 2022-23 Big Ten schedule

About the rebounding…

An interesting topic. Sixth-year senior Connor McCaffery emphasized that team-wide, the rebounding should be improved because the team has longer guards than a year ago (6-foot point guards Jordan Bohannon and Joe Toussaint were not big rebound guys). But Keegan’s average of 8.7 boards a game must be replaced, and that will fall heavily on Kris.

“He’s got long arms. He’s really put together right now,” Fran McCaffery said. “You think about how he was as a skinny freshman, now he’s 223 (pounds), and he’s bouncy and he’s running the floor and in great shape. We need him to be one of the top five rebounders in the league.”

Connor has been playing the second-team “4” in practice, so the two match up on each other frequently. Connor, always thinking about the big picture, has been intentionally physical with his teammate to get him prepared to bang the glass in the rugged Big Ten.

“I mug him, foul him,” Connor said. “Try to get him ready for what’s coming.”

More:Why Iowa basketball's Kris Murray bypassed the NBA for his junior season: 'It's a great situation'

Lastly, the personal side.

This is where the twins might be even more different. Keegan is described as a home-body whose routine is limited to playing basketball, playing golf and unwinding by watching TV.

“He’s probably watched everything on Netflix,” Kris mused about his brother.

Added Tony Perkins: “I used to have a locker next to Keegan. He never said a word. Like I’d come up to Keegan and say, ‘What’s up Keegan.’ And he’d (nod).”

Kris is much more vocal in the locker room and is actively social with his teammates off the floor. He sees that as a potential leadership benefit for this year’s team.

“I kind of found it helps the team chemistry a lot," Kris said.

Maybe the one area where Kris and Keegan are most alike aside from their appearance? Confidence.

Kris is primed and ready for his spotlight college season, with a marquee schedule that includes a Madison Square Garden showdown vs. Duke on Dec. 6. Fran McCaffery is confident he’ll be a first-round pick, too.

“I knew this day would come, where I wouldn’t be able to play with him anymore,” Kris said. “I’ve found comfort in the guys that we have and being able to play off of them.

“I’m confident in my abilities and looking forward to the season and ultimately, being by myself, with a really good cast of guys who can shoot (and) score at a really high level.”

Hawkeyes columnist Chad Leistikow has covered sports for 28 years with The Des Moines Register, USA TODAY and Iowa City Press-Citizen. Follow @ChadLeistikow on Twitter.