South Carolina basketball's Collin Murray-Boyles continues earning first-round NBA Draft projections
South Carolina basketball star Collin Murray-Boyles has been on the NBA Draft radar since part-way through his freshman season. However, the versatile forward elected to return to the Gamecocks for the 2024-2025 season, and his draft stock has improved. For most of this season, Murray-Boyles’ name has seen his name included in NBA Draft first-round projections.
That continued on Wednesday as ESPN NBA analysts Jeremy Woo and Jonathan Givony released their updated NBA Draft mock. The duo slotted Murray-Boyles into the No. 20 spot to the Miami Heat in their projection.
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According to Givony, CMB presents a complicated NBA fit, but he has a lot of coveted traits. “Murray-Boyles’ feel for the game and defensive versatility have been on full display in a Draymond Green-type role for South Carolina; he slides all over the floor as he’s tasked with slowing down guards and big men alike, while racking up rebounds, steals, and blocks. He’s an excellent passer…Murray-Boyles won’t be a fit for every NBA team–he’s undersized and lacks perimeter shooting (6-of-22 from 3, 66% on free throws)–and is a little stuck between positions, with some questions to answer about how he scores at the NBA level as a skilled but unconventional big. Still, an out-of-the-box, playoff-caliber team will likely be attracted to all the excellent role-playing qualities he brings.”
Said Woo, “The Heat got this pick from Golden State in the Butler trade, with the Warriors retaining top-10 protections but giving Miami a presumptive point of entry back into the first round…Murray-Boyles’ toughness, smarts, and productivity could check some of the boxes this front office values. He’d fit nicely on a team that can put rim protection behind him and allow him to slide into a more natural role at the 4.”
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On the 2024-2025 season, Collin Murray-Boyles is averaging 15.4 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game. He is one of just two players nationally averaging 15 points, eight rebounds, 2.5 assists, one steal, and one block. He’s doing all of that while maintaining the sixth-best qualifying field goal percentage among players in power conferences. His length, athleticism, and basketball IQ also give him enough defensive versatility to guard all but the quickest guards and all but the biggest post players.
The only thing keeping Murray-Boyles from a “do-it-all” label is consistent and willing outside shooting. However, the Columbia native has flashed the ability to shoot the ball at times (and looked smooth doing it). If he can develop into just an average shooter, Murray-Boyles has a bright professional future ahead of him.
If Murray-Boyles comes off the board in the first round, he will be the first Gamecock first-rounder since Renaldo Balkman. The New York Knicks selected Balkman with the 20th pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Since Balkman, only Sindarius Thornwell and GG Jackson earned NBA Draft selections. However, both of those great Gamecocks were second-round picks in 2017 and 2023, respectively.
