Hometown star looks to make splash in first season with Gamecocks men’s basketball

Joshua Staley remembers those early morning workouts in an empty A.C. Flora gymnasium.

Staley, the former A.C. Flora High coach who’s now at Ridge View, was often inside the Falcons’ gym and working with a younger Collin Murray-Boyles on developing his game.

On some days it would be working on getting his hips quicker. Other times it was working on improving ball-handling to shooting skills. That hard work has helped Murray-Boyles as he gets ready for his freshman year playing for Lamont Paris and the South Carolina men’s basketball team.

“Some kids get to the point where they max out and Collin has constantly got better,” Staley said. “A lot of that is the work ethic his parents have instilled in him. That is why his game is always growing.

“He is going to be a high-level player. He can shoot it really well. I think he has a chance to turn some heads this year.”

Staley isn’t the only one who feels that way.

The Athletic’s Tobias Bass ranks Murray-Boyles (6-foot 7, 231 pounds) at No. 13 on his list of high-impact freshmen in Division I basketball. The list includes Duke’s Caleb Foster and UConn’s Stephon Castle.

Bass projects Murray-Boyles as a first-team all-freshman selection in the Southeastern Conference, something GG Jackson did in his lone season with the Gamecocks. If that happens, it will be the first time since Michael Carrera (2012-13) and Sindarius Thornwell (2013-14) that USC produces back-to-back all-freshman selections.

“Murray-Boyles likely won’t be talked about much ahead of the 2023-24 season, but by season’s end, he will be a household name,” Bass wrote. “... I don’t know how many games the Gamecocks will win this year, but Murray-Boyles will be one of their bright spots.”

Murray-Boyles has been slowed down lately with an illness that forced him to miss the team’s Garnet and Black scrimmage and closed scrimmage against VMI, coach Lamont Paris said.

Murray-Boyles has drawn rave reviews so far from Paris and his teammates. He had a strong performance during the Gamecocks’ preseason trip to the Bahamas.

Against Club Obras from Argentina, Murray-Boyles was 7-for-7 from the floor and led the Gamecocks with 16 points in that game, including a pair of 3-pointers.

“I am very high on him,” forward Josh Gray said. “He can shoot it. Most of the time it looks like an air ball but it goes in. He can shoot it very well and is very athletic and strong for a freshman. It has been really nice and refreshing. He has been a big help to me, working with me on my perimeter game and also going against me down low.”

Outside shooting was among the things Murray-Boyles said he has worked on during the past few months. He also has dropped at least 15 to 20 pounds and added muscle to his 6-7 frame.

In addition to those early morning A.C. Flora workouts, Murray-Boyles also benefited from playing his senior season at Wasatch Academy in Utah. Wasatch competes in the National Interscholastic Basketball Conference, which features some of the top high school programs in the country such as Oak Hill, IMG Academy, Montverde Prep and Sunrise Christian.

The choice to move and play for Wasatch involved “a lot of contemplating,” he said.

“It was probably the biggest decision of my life, even more than when I picked to come to South Carolina,” Murray-Boyles said at the team’s October media day. “It was very, very intense and happened really, really fast. It gave me a little more responsibility

“That was a really good experience for me to play against the top players in the country and get college experience. Our coaching staff gave us the college feel with the workouts. It gave us really good expectations of what to expect in college.”

Murray-Boyles averaged 15 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.8 blocks and a steal per game. He also saw his stock rise and finished as a top-100 recruit by ESPN and 247Sports.

“I feel like I am very versatile. Feel like it is hard for people to guard me,” Murray-Boyles said. “I have gained a lot of muscle. I still got the quick first step and it is a matchup nightmare.”

After a year away from friends and family, Murray-Boyles is glad to be back in Columbia and ready to help the Gamecocks in Year Two under Paris. The Gamecocks went 11-21 last year and finished 12th in the 14-team Southeastern Conference.

“I want to be the best I could be,” Murray-Boyles said. “I’m focused on winning and making it to the tournament. Just do the best I could do for this team.”

USC basketball schedule: Next four games

Nov. 1 - vs. Wofford/exhibition, 7 p.m. (no TV or streaming)

Nov. 6 - vs. USC Upstate, 7 p.m. (SEC Network Plus)

Nov. 10 - Virginia Tech/Hall of Fame Series in Charlotte (ACC Network)

Nov. 13 - vs. VMI, 7 p.m. (SEC Network Plus)