2025 NBA Draft: Collin Murray-Boyles has Elite Feel on Both Ends of the Floor

The South Carolina forward demonstrated a high level of basketball IQ last season for the Gamecocks.

Mar 20, 2024; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks forward Collin Murray-Boyles (30) receives the ball during the NCAA first round practice session at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports / Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

Though he stands at just 6-foot-7, Collin Murray-Boyles plays significantly bigger than he is.

A four-star recruit out of high school at Wasatch Academy in Mount Pleasant, Utah, Murray-Boyles has a big frame despite his lacking positional height –  weighing 231 pounds, he has the ability to use physicality to attack the glass, which he did well all season, even against much taller players.

He snagged 5.6 rebounds per game in about 23 minutes per, with a total rebounding rate of 14.7%. He was also a highly efficient scorer, averaging 1.20 points per shot with 79% of these attempts coming at or near the rim. This places Murray-Boyles in the 90th percentile according to Synergy Sports, categorized as "Excellent" by the statistics service.

As effective as he is on the offensive end as a play finisher who can operate as the roll man in pick-and-roll sets, he is more well-known for his defensive prowess. He has elite feel on this end of the floor as a shot contester, a shot blocker, and someone who forces live-ball turnovers by getting in passing lanes.

To use his game against Florida as an example, Murray-Boyles blocked four shots, all of which were in the paint. The fact that he is able to do this as a 6-foot-7 player shows top-notch timing and understanding on defense. He also understands rotations and staying vertical in the post to make inside shots more difficult for opposing forwards and centers.

With an expected increase in minutes this season, Murray-Boyles will have the opportunity to increase his numbers. But more importantly, he will have to become a focal point of the offense, meaning a jump shot will have to become part of his game.

He took just nine jumpers on the year and hit only one of such shots. It will be compulsory that he attempts a significant more amount of these throughout the year given the current state of NBA power forwards. Looking at this grouping of NBA players, one will find that nearly every single four has some semblance of perimeter skills, be it spot-up shooting or attacking closeouts.

If Collin Murray-Boyles can develop a legitmate shot outside of a few feet from the basket, he could launch himself into lottery territory.

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