Stay or go? South Carolina’s Collin Murray-Boyles reveals NBA plans

Collin Murray-Boyles is headed to the NBA Draft.

The South Carolina forward announced Tuesday that he plans to enter the NBA. Murray-Boyles just finished his second season with the Gamecocks and has two years of college eligibility left.

The NBA Draft Combine is May 11-18. Players have until June 15 at 5 p.m. to announce if they are staying in the NBA Draft, which is set for June 25-26.

“To the city of Columbia and Gamecock Nation, Thank you for shaping me into the basketball player and, most importantly the person I am today,” Murray-Boyles wrote on Instagram. “South Carolina will always be home. I couldn’t have gotten here without everyone who has been in my corner since day one.”

Murray-Boyles is projected as a first-round draft pick by various NBA mock drafts. Bleacher Report has him going No. 13 to Dallas while ESPN has him at No. 10 to Houston.

NBA comparisons for Murray-Boyles include Julius Randle and Zach Randolph.

“Collin Murray-Boyles would certainly give any lineup a different look with his unique mix of physicality, agility, passing and defensive foot speed,” Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman wrote of Murray-Boyles. “He made his strongest pitch to scouts of the season with 35 points in a blowout win over Arkansas. Even without a jump shot, he continues to have success facing up defenders, overpowering them downhill and using footwork and big hands in the paint.”

Murray-Boyles averaged 16.7 points, 8.1 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.4 blocked shots per game this season and was a second-team All-SEC selection. He was the only Power 5 (ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten and SEC) player this season to average at least 16.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.0 block and 1.0 steal per game while shooting above 50% from the floor.

Murray-Boyles wasn’t highly recruited out of high school. He committed to the Gamecocks in August before his senior season with his other offers including SMU, Jacksonville, Wofford, St. Bonaventure, Coastal Carolina, Belmont, Appalachian State, North Carolina A&T and UNC-Wilmington.

Murray-Boyles played his first three years of high school at AC Flora before finishing up at Wasatch Academy in Utah. He 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.

“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 2023 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.”

With Murray-Boyles expected to leave, USC’s roster will look drastically different next season. It has been announced that eight players transferring out of the program.

South Carolina also will lose three players to graduation — Jacobi Wright and Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk.

South Carolina already has five transfer commitments for next season has a four-member freshman class.

South Carolina basketball 2025-26 roster outlook

Among scholarship players

Out of eligibility (3): G Jacobi Wright, F Myles Stute (pursuing a waiver to be eligible for next year), F Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk
Transferring away (8): G Austin Herro, G Zach Davis, G Arden Conyers (Charlotte), G Jamarii Thomas, G Cam Scott, F Nick Pringle; G Morris Ugusuk, F Okku Federiko
NBA Draft: F Collin Murray-Boyles
Incoming transfers (5): C Christ Essandoko (Providence), G Treysen Eaglestaff (North Dakota), Meechie Johnson (Ohio State); Elijah Strong (Boston College)
Returning (1): C Jordan Butler
Incoming freshmen (4): G Eli Ellis, G Grant Polk, F EJ Walker, F Hayden Assemian