College Basketball

Big Ten Media Days: Iowa's familiar face, Mike Woodson's drive, more from Day 1

Updated Oct. 11, 2022 9:37 p.m. ET

By John Fanta
FOX Sports College Basketball Writer

MINNEAPOLIS — It’s perhaps the most telling sign that the season is just around the corner from tipping off.

From the fashion statements to the entertaining quotes and everything in between, Day 1 of Big Ten Media Days in Minneapolis delivered no shortage of intrigue. Here are some of the most interesting takeaways from Tuesday inside the Target Center.

From One Murray to Another: Kris Poised to Take Over at Iowa

Keegan and Kris Murray have played on the same basketball team since they were in the fourth grade … until now. The twins will hit the hardwood on different squads for the first time this fall, when Keegan, picked No. 4 overall in the NBA Draft, laces up for the Kings, and Kris plays his junior year for the Hawkeyes. A year ago at this time, many thought Iowa would take a step back. The Hawkeyes were coming off a 26-win season and Luka Garza had departed, leaving a clear hole for who would step up.

A year later, the Hawkeyes are in a similar spot, picked seventh in the preseason poll despite being the defending Big Ten Tournament champions.

With some similar ingredients in place and a twin brother who looks ready to take the torch, that means Kris Murray was one of the main topics on media day. The 6-foot-8 junior is poised for a big year after testing the NBA Draft waters following a season that saw him average 9.7 points and 4.3 rebounds per game.

Hawkeyes head coach Fran McCaffery weighed in on Kris Murray's progress:

"I'm really proud of him because I think it's safe to say that he probably could have taken a two-way deal, perhaps been in the league. But he's betting on himself to come back and be a first-round pick. I have a lot of respect for people that do that. It was his choice.

"It will be the first time in his career he hasn't played with his brother. Obviously every team, I saw him play a lot growing up, with them being the same age as my son Patrick. Since fourth grade on I've watched the two of them grow up. They've always been on the same team. Now they're not.

"We're thrilled for Keegan, but we're thrilled for Kris. Kris is going to have a spectacular season. He's playing with great confidence. His body looks different, much stronger. I do feel like he's going to end up being a first-round pick."

Kris Murray talked about not playing with his brother, saying he feels comfortable playing with a returning core that features Patrick and Connor McCaffery, Tony Perkins, Payton Sandfort and others.

"I don’t think there’s much pressure because if he (Keegan) didn’t look the same as me, we probably wouldn’t be having this conversation," said Kris Murray. "Like, Luka (Garza) did the same thing and no one expected Keegan to make the jump that he did, but it happened. That’s the big difference. We have a really balanced team this year, though, and I think it will be more balanced."

Kris added that he believes he’s a more willing passer than his brother Keegan, something that got quite the sarcastic nod of approval from his teammates.

"My dad knows that, too," said Murray with a chuckle. "I also think I’m a better shooter than him (Keegan)."

Mike Woodson: "You guys didn’t know it. I was always back."

Indiana being good is beautiful for college basketball. It's even better when the Hoosiers coach — Indiana alum Mike Woodson — talks in ways reminiscent of the man who coached him, Bob Knight.

The 64-year-old Woodson, whose Hoosiers top the Big Ten Preseason Poll, was asked about what taking the head coach position at his alma mater has done for him. He didn’t hold back:

"It’s a big-time love, because it was you guys that said, ‘He’s too old. He can’t recruit. He’s been away for 42 years.’ I mean, all the negative things that you could say about a guy that was so interested in this job. And, I was able to beat those odds and get the job. I don’t think I’m too old, and I think we’ve done a pretty good job in recruiting. Only time will tell once you start playing, and I never was away from here. You guys just didn’t know it. I was always back.

"Getting doubted, it happens in your career. If you played as long as I played and coached as long as I coached, hell, all you gotta do is go through New York and they’ll let you know a little bit of everything. If I had to worry about everything that was said about Mike Woodson, I wouldn’t have this job right now, I can tell you that."

Woodson made headlines on Friday night at Hoosier Hysteria when he said Indiana Basketball is the s---.

He took the opportunity on Tuesday to follow up:

"Somebody said to me, ‘You still got to win a Big Ten title.’ You’re right. I do. But, that statement was based on what I remembered as a player, and now that I’m the coach, it hasn’t changed. The fan base is still as big as ever, and we just got to do our part and win. It doesn’t get better than Indiana basketball when you’re winning. My walk of life has been so good in Bloomington."

Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year Trayce Jackson-Davis weighed in on Woodson, and what he’s done in a short period of time to build the Hoosiers into conference front-runners with four returning starters and a top-15 recruiting class:

"It’s crazy, because when Coach Woody first got hired, everybody was like, ‘Eh, we don’t know about that. We don’t know about him.’ And in one year, we go from ‘we don’t know about this guy,' to preseason Big Ten favorites. It just says a lot about him. Who he’s bringing in, the caliber of players that he’s bringing in, he’s going to put the program in the right place before his time is done here."

How the relationship between Terrence Shannon Jr. and Illinois stayed intact

Shannon Jr. never forgot how Illinois reacted when he committed to play for Chris Beard at Texas Tech. Now, the senior transfer and Chicago native is finishing his college career with the Illini after three years with the Red Raiders. One of the hottest names in the transfer portal, he ended up with the Illini because the relationship with head coach Brad Underwood and his staff was always in a good place.

Here’s Shannon on that process:

"When I committed to Texas Tech, they all congratulated me on my decision. They were never like, ‘oh, you should have come here,’ or 'oh, you’ll regret your decision. It was all positive, and I’ve always been thankful for that, and I felt like that kept our relationship in a good place. When it was time for me to enter the portal, we were on good terms. They never lied to me. They never tried to sell me. They just told me the truth and told me all I had to do was come and work."

"I think winning’s really hard, and if somebody doesn’t want to be a part of your program, I’m not angry," Underwood said. "I don’t get on somebody’s butt and wish them to fail. That’s not who I am. I want everybody to succeed, so I wish them well. When the situation did change, and it came upon us to welcome him back home, he felt it was the right fit. Relationships play a big role in recruiting, and I’m glad he felt the relationship was in the right place for him to come back."

For an Illini team that lost its top five scorers from last year, the addition of Shannon Jr. and Baylor transfers Matthew Mayer and Dain Dainja is a welcome sight. Underwood talked about how the program views recruiting:

"Winning is really important," said the sixth-year head coach of the Illini. "We’ve got two guys from Baylor that won a national championship. Terrence came from an Elite Eight program. When there’s an element of winning, there’s usually an element of teamwork. Does everybody have to find their own niche? Yes. And I want a little bit of swagger. I want a little bit of cocky. We’ve had some chippiness on the court, but it doesn’t translate to the locker room."

Some other highlights …

The Kevin Willard Era is off and running at Maryland, and at media days, the new leader of the Terrapins talked about what he’s learned during his time in the DMV thus far.

Iowa superstar Caitlin Clark, one of the faces of women’s basketball, showed her versatility on Tuesday by putting on her reporter cap during head coach Lisa Bluders’ press conference.

Watch out for Rutgers …

The Scarlet Knights are seeking a third straight trip to the NCAA Tournament this season, something that has never happened in the history of Rutgers basketball. Fifth-year senior Caleb McConnell talked about how Steve Pikiell has made Rutgers a winner both in the Big Ten and nationally:

"It’s been a culture change. The more you see people work, the more you want to work. That’s what we’ve instilled in this program. When I first started talking to (Steve) Pikiell, he told me, ‘If Rutgers is a stock, buy it now.’ That took my mind away, and it spoke for itself. I take a lot of pride in being a part of winning, especially in the Big Ten. It’s not easy to win here."

Andy Katz is certainly driving the bus for the Scarlet Knights.

Day two gets underway Wednesday morning with Wisconsin, Nebraska, Ohio State, Minnesota, Michigan, Michigan State and Penn State. Check out Big Ten Network and the FOX Sports app for live coverage beginning at 9:30 a.m. ET.

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John Fanta is a national college basketball broadcaster and writer for FOX Sports. He covers the sport in a variety of capacities, from calling games on FS1 to serving as lead host on the BIG EAST Digital Network to providing commentary on The Field of 68 Media Network. Follow him on Twitter @John_Fanta.