Aggressiveness from Collin Murray-Boyles fuels efficiency inside the paint for South Carolina
Earning 45 attempts from the line doesn’t come by accident. South Carolina was a regular visitor to the charity stripe on Saturday night, a symptom of newfound physicality.
Sophomore Collin Murray-Boyles had been challenged by head coach Lamont Paris to use his size to generate offense.
“I said coming into the season that would be the biggest challenge,” Paris said after the Gamecocks’ 84-69 win over Texas. “He attacked really hard, his moves were aggressive. This was some of the most efficient moves … they were strong moves.”
In the team’s recent 13-game losing streak, Murray-Boyles was still performing at a high rate. Despite the team’s lack of overall success, the possible lottery pick still averaged 14.4 points and 7.6 rebounds per game in that span. However, those marks still fell below what many, including Paris, thought the star’s ceiling could be.
“(I did) what coaches wanted me to do all season, just be more aggressive, more assertive with the ball,” Murray-Boyles said postgame. “When I get it at the high post, be more willing to attack.”
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Even when the Columbia native wasn’t the one shooting, he still managed to engineer the offense. Focus on Murray-Boyles allowed the Gamecocks to space to floor and create open looks.
“We threw it to him in the middle of the floor, and he was really making some good decisions and good plays, mainly for himself but he’s so unselfish that he’s always going to be looking out for other guys when they’re out there, too,” Paris said.
The Gamecocks’ scoring output of 84 points was the most since the team’s overtime victory against Clemson in December. Prior to the win, South Carolina had managed 70-plus points just once in SEC games this season.
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Murray-Boyles is gaining significant NBA draft chatter. But standing at a listed height of ‘just’ 6’8″, questions arise of where exactly he would best fit on a professional roster. Dominating physically with a combination of strength and nimble footwork against Texas is exactly what the doctor (or rather, agent) ordered for the sophomore’s draft stock.
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If Murray-Boyles isn’t yet equipped with an NBA-caliber perimeter shot, (he has seven career makes from distance) showcasing a pro-ready package inside the paint is a more-than-acceptable supplement.
And it’s not like the 19-year-old was dominating against younger competition on Saturday, either. Murray-Boyles’s main frontcourt foes, Arthur Kaluma and Kadin Shedrick, have certainly been around the block in the college basketball world. The two Longhorns have been in college for a combined ten years, counting the 2024-25 season.
South Carolina basketball seems to be on the far outside looking in to postseason opportunities. But as long as the SEC Tournament exists, any team has a shot to make a run. While the Gamecocks would have to win five games in five days, Saturday’s performance serves as a glimmer of hope for the program.
Collin Murray-Boyles, when at his most aggressive, is capable of leading the Gamecocks’ offense to victories such as the triumph over Texas. South Carolina has two more ranked matchups on their schedule. Having Murray-Boyles at his best is a must for a Gamecock offense that has struggled against highly-rated defenses.
