BROOKLYN, N.Y. – All-SEC sophomore forward Collin Murray-Boyles was selected No. 9 overall in the first round by the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night in the NBA Draft. He becomes the 39th player in program history picked in the NBA Draft and the first Gamecock selected in the first round since Renaldo Balkman was picked No. 20 overall by the New York Knicks in 2006.
He also becomes the first South Carolina player selected in the lottery (top-14 selection) in the modern NBA Draft format (started in 1985). Murray-Boyles is the ninth first round NBA Draft choice in program history. He is the third-highest drafted Gamecock player ever behind only Gary Gregor (round one, pick eight overall by the Phoenix Suns in 1968) and Tom Riker (round one, pick eight overall by the New York Knicks).
CMB is the second player drafted under head coach Lamont Paris. Gregory “GG” Jackson II was selected 45th overall by Memphis in the second round in 2023. He would go on to earn 2023-24 NBA All-Rookie Second Team honors after averaging 14.6 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game.
Murray-Boyles enjoyed a stellar season for the Gamecocks in 2024-25, averaging 16.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.3 blocks per game. He started all 32 games and had a career-best 11, 20-point games and nine double-doubles en route to earning Second Team All-SEC honors and First Team NABC All-South Atlantic District distinction. He led the team in points (538), rebounds (264), steals (47) and blocks (43) and was second in assists (77).
Murray-Boyles was the first Gamecock since Jimmy Foster in 1983-84 (18.5 ppg, 9.4 rpg) to average at least 16.0 points and 8.0 rebounds per game.
Murray-Boyles was an efficient 58.6% (198-of-338) from the floor which led the SEC and ranked 21st nationally. He had five games this season with 10 or more makes from the floor, becoming the first Gamecock to accomplish the feat since Devan Downey did it nine times in 2009-10. Murray-Boyles had a stretch of four-straight games with 20 or more points the final month of the season (first Gamecock to do that since All-SEC guard AJ Lawson in 2021) highlighted by a career-high 35 points in a 72-53 win over Arkansas on March 1 at Colonial Life Arena.
In Power Five leagues (ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten & SEC), Murray-Boyles and Kansas’ Hunter Dickinson were the only players to average at least 16.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.0 blocks per game while shooting above 50.0%.
As a freshman in 2023-24, Murray-Boyles averaged 10.4 points, 5.7 rebounds (led team), 1.8 assists, 1.0 blocks and 1.0 steals per game while shooting 59.7% (117-of-196) from the floor (fourth-best single-season field goal percentage in program history). He earned Freshman All-SEC honors and helped the team to a 26-8 overall record and a 13-5 mark in SEC action, good for a T-2nd finish in the league. The Gamecocks tied the program record for single-season wins and made the team’s first appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 2017.
Murray-Boyles finished his Gamecock career averaging 13.8 points, 7.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.2 blocks per game in 60 career appearances in Garnet and Black. His career field goal percentage of 59.0% (315-of-534) is No. 2 all-time behind only Foster (shot 59.6% from 1981-84).
