Collin Murray-Boyles slowly gaining 'all those good skills I used to have back'
The past few months have been something of a rollercoaster for South Carolina freshman forward Collin Murray-Boyles. It’s something not even he could have foreseen.
After joining the team in the summer, he came down with a case of mononucleosis, which put him out of action for the first month of the regular season. He came back sooner than expected, but the recovery process has been far from easy.
“Slowly but surely I’m going to get back to where I was in the Bahamas and then to where I was practicing wise,” Murray-Boyles said. “It’s just a long journey and process. I’m trusting it, I’m sticking to what the coaches say. I’m listening to my teammates and what I could to become a better basketball player.”
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Murray-Boyles has had to put back on some of the weight he lost when he had mono. He’s also had to get acclimated to the team and the playbook while living life as a college freshman.
But over the last few weeks, there have been some signs of improvement. He’s been playing more minutes for South Carolina with good results.
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In the Gamecocks’ most recent game, Murray-Boyles finished with a season-high 17 points on 5-of-6 shooting. He went 7-for-8 at the free throw line and had three rebounds and two steals.
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On the year, Murray-Boyles is averaging 6.3 points per game on 55.6 percent shooting. He’s also playing roughly 12 minutes a game, which could continue to increase as the season wears on.
For right now, though, it’s about getting back to 100 percent, which he seems awfully close to doing.
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“I’ve gained that aggression back a little bit from when I was out. Just being more aggressive. Working on my touch around the rim. Just getting all those good skills I used to have back,” Murray-Boyles said.
“And then something I’m working on, really just getting more comfortable. Coming back, I was out for like 10 games or something like that. Getting back comfortable and having to know what to do on the court with plays and all that has been a big thing for me to work on.”
