A local superstar: Collin Murray-Boyles’ impressive week helps extend USC’s win streak

Which block was better: Collin Murray-Boyles’ block against Ole Miss on Tuesday or his block against Vanderbilt on Saturday?

It doesn’t matter, because the South Carolina freshman forward put on the performance of his career this week to extend the Gamecocks’ winning streak to seven games.

Think about it: What a week Murray-Boyles had.

Forty-seven points, 16 rebounds, two jaw-dropping blocks and three assists in two games. A whopping 31 points came during USC’s 75-60 win over Vanderbilt. He became the first USC player to score at least 30 points since GG Jackson scored 30 against Auburn on Jan. 23, 2023.

“He’s putting the world on notice for what’s to come,” BJ Mack said. “Local guy here from Columbia. So it just shows the talent that’s all over the country. I’m glad that you see all the work you’ve done coming through.”

This is an athlete who had just one Power Five offer in high school: the Gamecocks. The hometown star was an expected starter out of the gate at South Carolina. While he didn’t make his debut until December because of illness, he hasn’t stopped improving since then.

Head coach Lamont Paris said it would take a few weeks before his freshman was 100%. Well, Murray-Boyles has played at 100% since he stepped onto the court for the first time.

Now it’s a question of what Murray-Boyles will look like as he continues maturing.

“His ceiling is unbelievably high,” Paris said. “But just in terms of evolving as a player, it’s amazing to see. And how much more room there is for him to grow as a basketball player. It’s amazing.”

There’s a lot of words the Gamecocks can use to describe South Carolina’s freshman forward: talented, physical, smart.

He’s 6-foot-7, and has won battles against seven-foot forwards. In most cases, these stellar blocks he’s delivered have come against players closer to that seven-foot marker. Murray-Boyles’ play belies his age of 18.

“He’s got incredible touch,” Paris said. “You saw that. Some of the finishes where he’s on the move, he got bumped and filed, and he’s still able to finish even though his body was contorted a little bit, it’s tremendous.”

It’s not everyday a basketball player gets a standing ovation in the middle of a game, and Murray-Boyles earned that honor against Vanderbilt on Saturday. He’d never experienced that before, thousands of people rising to their feet to honor him.

“That was my first time,” Murray-Boyles said. “First time getting one of those, so it was a great feeling.”

Fans had “MVP” displayed on their phones behind Murray-Boyles during his postgame interview with SEC Network.

“I felt all that,” Murray-Boyles said, “and I appreciate every single bit of that.”

In a time where South Carolina has continued to impress the college basketball world, Murray-Boyles is finding his own way to shine. His teammates love it.

There wasn’t a single person sitting down on the USC bench when Murray-Boyles got both blocks this week. Everyone was stunned. Colonial Life Arena exploded with energy. Murray-Boyles has turned an easy layup into a shot in the arm, twice now.

But really, which block was better?