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Joel Murray (basketball)

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Joel Murray
Murray with the Mandurah Magic in 2024
No. 11 – LWD Basket
PositionPoint guard
LeagueBNXT League
Personal information
Born (1999-11-23) November 23, 1999 (age 24)
Rowlett, Texas
Listed height6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Listed weight170 lb (77 kg)
Career information
High schoolRowlett (Rowlett, Texas)
College
NBA draft2023: undrafted
Playing career2024–present
Career history
2024Mandurah Magic
2024–presentLWD Basket
Career highlights and awards

Joel Murray (born November 23, 1999) is an American professional basketball player for LWD Basket of the BNXT League. He played college basketball for the West Texas A&M Buffaloes and Long Beach State Beach. He was named first-team All-Big West in 2022 before an injury in 2023 ended his final college season with Long Beach State prematurely. He joined the Mandurah Magic of the NBL1 West in Australia in 2024, where he was named the NBL1 West Most Valuable Player and led the team to the NBL1 West championship.

High school career

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Murray was born in Rowlett, Texas.[1] He attended Rowlett High School,[2] where he was considered a versatile scorer.[3] In December 2016, he hit a game-winning 3-pointer against Highland Park High School.[4] He hit another game winner the following month against Garland High School.[5] During his three-year varsity career, he played in 88 games while averaging 10.5 points and 1.2 assists per game, including 13.9 points per game as a senior. He earned All-District honors three times including a pair of First Team selections as a junior and senior.[2] He was also named an All-Region honoree and the Highland Tournament MVP as a senior while picking up All-Tournament Team accolades at the Allen Tournament.[6] He also competed in track and football at Rowlett.[7]

College career

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West Texas A&M (2018–2021)

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Coming out of high school in 2018, Murray only had one offer to play basketball at Independence Community College in Kansas. He accepted the offer to play junior college, but before Murray had the chance to play in his first game, West Texas A&M gave him an offer to come back home and play Division II basketball.[8]

As a freshman at West Texas A&M in 2018–19, Murray appeared in 38 games with 34 starts, averaging 11.7 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.8 steals in 28.3 minutes per game. His 67 steals were the most by a freshman in program history and second-most in a single season in program history. He scored in double figures in 24 games including a season-high 26 points against Texas A&M-Kingsville on February 16.[2] He was named third-team All-LSC and LSC All-Defensive Team.[7]

As a sophomore in 2019–20, Murray started all 33 games and averaged 19.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.0 steals per game. He scored in double figures in 31 games including twice scoring a season-high 32 points, the first against UT Permian Basin on February 1 and the second against Texas A&M-Commerce on March 6. He was named most valuable player of the LSC tournament after leading the Buffaloes to victory in the championship game against St. Edward's.[2] The team had an overall record of 32–1 and were about to head to the Regional Championships before COVID-19 canceled the rest of the postseason.[8] He earned All-American honors and was named first-team All-LSC and LSC All-Defensive Team.[7]

As a junior in 2020–21, Murray started in all 22 games and averaged a career-best 23.3 points, 6.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game. His 23.3 points per game set the third-highest single-season average in program history. He had 17 games with 20-plus points, including a career-high 37 points against Lubbock Christian.[2] He won a third straight LSC tournament championship[9] and was named to the LSC all-tournament team.[7] The Buffaloes played in the 2021 NCAA Division II men's basketball tournament and reached their first ever title game, where they lost 80–54 to Northwest Missouri State.[8] For the season, he earned first-team All-LSC and LSC All-Defensive Team honors.[7] He helped the team win 51 of 55 games over the previous two seasons.[10]

Long Beach State (2021–2023)

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In April 2021, Murray transferred to Long Beach State with two remaining seasons of eligibility.[9][11] He had been criticised for being too short and he had encountered coaches and people who doubted he could make the transition to Division I.[8] He chose Long Beach State over Duquesne, Elon, Marshall, Sam Houston State, and Saint Mary's. He subsequently competed outside the state of Texas for the first time.[12]

In the 2021–22 season, Murray started 30 games and led Long Beach State in scoring (16.7) and assists (2.8) on the year.[7] He also averaged 3.0 rebounds per game.[13] He recorded double figures in scoring in 26 games and 20 points or more in 12 games, finishing the season as the league's leading scorer over all games[7] with 551 points.[13] In his first two games, he had 28 points against Idaho and 30 points against UCLA.[7] The team won the Big West Conference regular season championship after having an 11-game winning streak during the year.[14] He was subsequently named first-team All-Big West[15] as well as being the first All-District honoree for the Beach since Nick Faust in 2016, as Murray was named second-team All-District.[13] The Beach went on to reach the final of the Big West tournament,[7] where they lost 72–71 to Cal State Fullerton despite Murray's team-high 24 points.[16] He was named in the all-tournament team.[17]

Following the 2021–22 season, Murray received pre-draft workouts with NBA teams[18] and initially declared for the 2022 NBA draft.[19]

Murray returned to Long Beach State for the 2022–23 season,[20] where he was the team's lone senior.[21] He was chosen for the Preseason All-Big West team[13] and was predicted by ESPN to be the Big West Conference's preseason player of the year.[22] On January 7, 2023, he sustained a wrist injury against UC Irvine. He was subsequently ruled out for the rest of the season after requiring surgery.[23] Despite not playing, he was praised by his teammates over the remainder of the season for his high IQ on the sidelines.[24] Murray led the team in scoring at 15.7 points per game while also contributing 3.8 assists per game.[23] He finished his collegiate career between Long Beach State and West Texas A&M with 2,418 points scored, 561 rebounds, 533 assists and 250 steals.[21] He was also able to complete his major in civil engineering.[25][26]

Murray was one-handed for 10 months while undergoing rehabilitation.[18] He was subsequently unable to take part in any pre-draft workouts or the NBA Summer League[18] and it denied him from signing with a European team.[27] At the request of coach Dan Monson, Murray spent time with the Beach during the 2023–24 season.[28]

Professional career

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Mandurah Magic (2024)

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Murray with the Magic in August 2024 following the NBL1 West Grand Final

In early April 2024, Murray joined the Mandurah Magic of the NBL1 West for the 2024 season.[29] He made his debut for the Magic three days after landing in Australia, marking his first game in 15 months.[18] He was later named team captain.[30][31] On May 11, he scored 42 points in a 107–94 win over the Goldfields Giants.[32][33] On May 17, he scored 50 points in a 99–81 win over the Willetton Tigers.[34][35][36] On June 15, he had 47 points, eight rebounds and nine assists in a 107–103 win over the Warwick Senators.[37] On June 28, he scored 52 points in a 110–97 win over the Lakeside Lightning.[38][39] On July 13, he scored 41 points in a 115–100 loss to the Geraldton Buccaneers.[40][41] He helped the Magic finish the regular season in fourth place with a 13–9 record. His 34.3 points per game in the regular season led the entire NBL1 in scoring. He was subsequently named the NBL1 West Most Valuable Player[42][43] along with All-NBL1 West First Team honors and the Golden Hands Award.[44][45] In the qualifying final, Murray scored 42 points before fouling out late in a 106–100 loss to the Buccaneers.[46][47] In the semi-final, he had 34 points and 12 assists in a 110–93 win over the Giants.[30][48] He led the Magic to the NBL1 West Grand Final with 40 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists in a 91–88 overtime win over the Joondalup Wolves in the preliminary final.[49][50][51] In the grand final, he scored a team-high 30 points to lead the Magic to a 91–89 victory over the Willetton Tigers to win the NBL1 West championship. He was named grand final MVP after scoring nine points in the last two minutes of the game, including the go-ahead basket.[52][53][54] He also finished with seven rebounds and three assists while playing all 40 minutes.[26] In 23 games, he averaged 34.7 points, 4.91 rebounds, 7.35 assists and 2.43 steals per game.[55] At the NBL1 National Finals, Murray had 22 points, nine rebounds and eight assists in a 93–82 loss to the Mackay Meteors.[56]

LWD Basket (2024–present)

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In July 2024, Murray signed with LWD Basket of the BNXT League in the Netherlands for the 2024–25 season.[57]

Personal life

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Murray's father, Joseph, played basketball at Alabama and played in the NBA with the Philadelphia 76ers.[7][8] His older brother, JJ, played basketball at North Texas while his younger brother, Devin, also attended Rowlett High School.[8]

References

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  1. ^ "Joel Murray". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on July 14, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Joel Murray". West Texas A&M Buffaloes. Archived from the original on May 17, 2024.
  3. ^ Hasson, Devin (March 15, 2017). "Rowlett lands two players on 10-6A first team". StarLocalMedia.com. Archived from the original on July 3, 2024.
  4. ^ Thomas, Robert (December 27, 2016). "Buzzer-beater from Joel Murray leads Rowlett to win over Highland Park". The Dallas Morning News. Archived from the original on May 18, 2024.
  5. ^ Hasson, Devin (January 15, 2017). "10-6A Boys Basketball: Buzzer-beater carries Rowlett past Garland". StarLocalMedia.com. Archived from the original on July 4, 2024.
  6. ^ "ROWLETT'S JOEL MURRAY SIGNS TO PLAY FOR COACH BROWN AND THE BUFFS IN 2018-19". West Texas A&M Buffaloes. August 2, 2018. Archived from the original on May 18, 2024.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Joel Murray". Long Beach State Beach. Archived from the original on May 17, 2024.
  8. ^ a b c d e f Brown, Matthew (March 9, 2022). "LBSU guard Joel Murray is ready to thank his doubters". Daily49er.com. Archived from the original on March 9, 2022. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
  9. ^ a b Diaz, Samantha (April 11, 2021). "West Texas guard Joel Murray announces commitment to Long Beach State". Daily49er.com. Archived from the original on April 13, 2021. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
  10. ^ "Men's Basketball Adds Three Transfers". Long Beach State Beach. July 6, 2021. Archived from the original on May 18, 2024.
  11. ^ Liska, Larissa (April 8, 2021). "Joel Murray commits to Long Beach State, saying goodbye to West Texas A&M". NewsChannel10.com. Archived from the original on May 24, 2024.
  12. ^ Jenkins, Brandon (April 7, 2021). "Division II All-American guard Joel Murray transfers to Long Beach State". 247Sports. Archived from the original on April 7, 2021. Retrieved May 23, 2024.
  13. ^ a b c d "Joel Murray Selected Preseason All-Big West". Long Beach State Beach. October 19, 2022. Archived from the original on May 18, 2024.
  14. ^ Murray, Thomas (March 8, 2022). "LBSU Men's Basketball deemed Big West Champions after season full of adversity". Daily49er.com. Archived from the original on March 8, 2022. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
  15. ^ "Big West Unveils 2021-22 Men's Basketball All-Conference Team". Big West Conference. March 7, 2022. Archived from the original on March 8, 2022. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
  16. ^ "Anosike, CSU Fullerton rally, beat LBSU 72-71, win Big West". Associated Press. March 13, 2022. Archived from the original on March 13, 2022. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
  17. ^ "The Big West Men's Basketball Notebook: Titans and Beach Ready for National Tournaments". Big West Conference. March 16, 2022. Archived from the original on March 16, 2022. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
  18. ^ a b c d Pike, Chris (July 2, 2024). "Murray uses 15 months of pain as driving force". authory.com. Archived from the original on July 4, 2024.
  19. ^ Murray, Thomas (March 25, 2022). "Joel Murray set to enter NBA Draft". Daily49er.com. Archived from the original on March 25, 2022. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
  20. ^ Ayala, Andrew (October 14, 2022). "Long Beach State Men's Basketball looks forward to new season". Daily49er.com. Archived from the original on October 15, 2022. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
  21. ^ a b Fiddler, JJ (March 2, 2023). "Long Beach State Men's Basketball Wins Final Home Game". the562.org. Archived from the original on May 18, 2024.
  22. ^ Medcalf, Myron (October 21, 2022). "Sasser vs. Davis, Tshiebwe vs. Smith and more 2022-23 conference player of the year battles". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on August 4, 2024.
  23. ^ a b "Beach Brings Winning Streak Back To Walter Pyramid Against UC Davis". Long Beach State Beach. January 27, 2023. Archived from the original on May 18, 2024.
  24. ^ Villa, Marlon (March 3, 2023). "Men's basketball wins home finale at the Pyramid". Daily49er.com. Archived from the original on March 4, 2023. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
  25. ^ Murray, Thomas (February 10, 2022). "LBSU basketball player and coaches discuss why student-athlete mental health is critical for success". Daily49er.com. Archived from the original on February 10, 2022. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
  26. ^ a b Pike, Chris (August 13, 2024). "Murray delivers on promise to bring championship to Mandurah". authory.com. Archived from the original on August 15, 2024.
  27. ^ Everett, Lachlan (May 24, 2024). "From Mandurah's second choice, to MVP favourite". NBL1.com.au. Archived from the original on June 11, 2024.
  28. ^ Gomez, Matthew (March 20, 2024). "Dan Monson: The players' coach out of a job, yet leading his team to the dance". Daily49er.com. Archived from the original on March 25, 2024. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
  29. ^ "Murray Magic in 2024!". facebook.com/mandurahbasketball. April 3, 2024. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
  30. ^ a b Harvey, Neale (August 6, 2024). "Giants pay for slow start in finals defeat against Mandurah". Kalgoorlie Miner. Archived from the original on August 6, 2024.
  31. ^ O'Donoghue, Craig (August 9, 2024). "Mandurah Magic and Willetton Tigers to clash for NBL1 West championship at RAC Arena". The West Australian. Archived from the original on August 9, 2024.
  32. ^ Badkin, Liam (May 14, 2024). "NBL1 West Players of the Week – Round 7". central.rookieme.com. Archived from the original on May 18, 2024.
  33. ^ Badkin, Liam (May 15, 2024). "NBL1 Scorching Scorers – May 15". central.rookieme.com. Archived from the original on May 18, 2024.
  34. ^ "Joel Murray's strong performance yesterday lead to an unbelievable 50 points in his last game in the Mandurah Magic". Australiabasket.com. May 18, 2024. Archived from the original on May 19, 2024.
  35. ^ Badkin, Liam (May 21, 2024). "NBL1 Scorching Scorers – May 21". central.rookieme.com. Archived from the original on May 22, 2024.
  36. ^ Badkin, Liam (May 22, 2024). "NBL1 West Players of the Week – Round 8". central.rookieme.com. Archived from the original on May 22, 2024.
  37. ^ Badkin, Liam (June 18, 2024). "NBL1 West Players of the Week – Round 12". central.rookieme.com. Archived from the original on June 18, 2024.
  38. ^ "Mandurah Magic vs Lakeside Lightning". NBL1.com.au. June 28, 2024. Archived from the original on June 28, 2024.
  39. ^ Pike, Chris (June 29, 2024). "Recap NBL1 West | Round 14 Friday". NBL1.com.au. Archived from the original on June 29, 2024.
  40. ^ Paddick, Matthew (July 14, 2024). "Geraldton Buccaneers third-term burst sees them triumph over Mandurah, gain momentum heading into finals". Geraldton Guardian. Archived from the original on July 26, 2024.
  41. ^ Paddick, Matthew (July 17, 2024). "Geraldton Buccaneers claim minor premiership with win over Mandurah in final home game of regular season". Midwest Times. Archived from the original on July 26, 2024.
  42. ^ "Joel Murray wins NBL1 West MVP". NBL1.com.au. July 20, 2024. Archived from the original on July 20, 2024.
  43. ^ Welhan, Monique (July 22, 2024). "Mandurah Magic's Joel Murray crowned NBL1 West MVP". CoastLive.com.au. Archived from the original on July 22, 2024.
  44. ^ Pike, Chris (July 21, 2024). "NBL1 West Awards Recap 2024". authory.com. Archived from the original on July 23, 2024.
  45. ^ "2024 BWA Gala Awards Night". Basketball Western Australia. July 21, 2024. Archived from the original on August 4, 2024.
  46. ^ Williams, Fraser (July 28, 2024). "The Geraldton Buccaneers are onto the prelims after beating the Mandurah Magic 106-100 in first finals match". Geraldton Guardian. Archived from the original on July 29, 2024.
  47. ^ Williams, Fraser (July 31, 2024). "Geraldton Buccaneers make magic happen with finals win over Mandurah". Midwest Times. Archived from the original on August 2, 2024.
  48. ^ Pike, Chris (August 2, 2024). "Recap NBL1 West | Semi Finals Friday". NBL1.com.au. Archived from the original on August 3, 2024.
  49. ^ Pike, Chris (August 4, 2024). "Recap NBL1 West | Preliminary Final Sunday". NBL1.com.au. Archived from the original on August 4, 2024.
  50. ^ Zis, Matt (August 5, 2024). "NBL1 West men: Mandurah Magic fairytale rise from last to grand finalist". PerthNow.com.au. Mandurah Times. Archived from the original on August 5, 2024.
  51. ^ Badkin, Liam (August 6, 2024). "Murray masterclass gets Mandurah to Grand Final". central.rookieme.com. Archived from the original on August 6, 2024.
  52. ^ Pike, Chris (August 10, 2024). "Recap NBL1 West | Men's Grand Final". NBL1.com.au. Archived from the original on August 10, 2024.
  53. ^ "Mandurah Magic win the 2024 NBL1 West men's championship". NBL1.com.au. August 10, 2024. Archived from the original on August 10, 2024.
  54. ^ Badkin, Liam (August 16, 2024). "Murray brings the Magic to steer Mandurah to title". central.rookieme.com. Archived from the original on August 16, 2024.
  55. ^ "Joel Murray". NBL1.com.au. Retrieved September 3, 2024.
  56. ^ Pike, Chris (August 16, 2024). "Recap Friday NBL1 National Finals | Mackay v Mandurah". NBL1.com.au. Archived from the original on August 16, 2024.
  57. ^ "New player – Joel Murray". lwdbasket.nl (in Dutch). July 21, 2024. Archived from the original on September 23, 2024.
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