South Carolina basketball star makes midseason watch list for national player of the year

On Monday, the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) announced the midseason watch list for the Oscar Robertson Trophy. On the list for the USBWA’s national player of the year honor is South Carolina basketball star Collin Murray-Boyles.

Despite some on-court struggles for the Gamecocks, Murray-Boyles is having a strong sophomore campaign. The Columbia native is averaging 15.5 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.6 blocks per game while shooting an efficient 59.7% from the field.

Murray-Boyles represented South Carolina basketball on the All-SEC team last season and should be in line for another selection this year.

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From the South Carolina Athletics Press Release:

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Sophomore forward Collin Murray-Boyles was named one of 50 players to the 2024-25 Oscar Robertson Trophy Midseason Watch List on Monday the U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) announced. Thru the first 22 games of the season, the Columbia, S.C. native is averaging 15.5 points (leads team), 8.8 rebounds (leads team), 2.5 assists (second on the team), 1.6 steals (tied for team lead) and 1.4 blocks (leads team) per game.

Murray-Boyles leads the SEC in field goal percentage (min. 5 made FGs per game) and ranks 14^th nationally at 59.7 percent (132-of-221). His career-best six double-doubles are second in the SEC behind only Auburn’s Johni Broome. Murray-Boyles and Kansas’ Hunter Dickinson are the only players in Power Four conferences (ACC, Big 12, Big Ten and SEC) this season averaging at least 15.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.0 blocks per game while shooting above 50.0 percent from the floor.

Murray-Boyles led the Gamecocks last Saturday against No. 13/15 Texas A&M with 22 points, seven rebounds, six assists, two blocks and two steals. He went 11-of-16 (68.8 percent) from the floor. His 11 made field goals were a season high and marked the fifth time in his career he’s made double-digit field goals in a game. Murray-Boyles’ six 20-point games this season, which leads the team, are a new single-season career high in the category for the second-year local product.

Members of the association’s board of directors chose the players that will be considered as contenders for the National Player of the Year. All Division I players remain eligible for the award.

Murray-Boyles is one nine players from the SEC on the midseason watch list.

The Oscar Robertson Trophy winner is to be announced at the NCAA Men’s Final Four in San Antonio, from April 5-7. The formal presentation of the trophy will follow at the annual USBWA Awards Luncheon hosted by the Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis. A final watch list will be released in early and those chosen will be included on the USBWA’s annual awards ballot.

2024-25 Oscar Robertson Trophy Midseason Watch List:

• Jaden Akins, Michigan State
• Ace Bailey, Rutgers
• Ace Baldwin Jr., Penn State
• Nate Bittle, Oregon
• Johni Broome, Auburn
• Lamont Butler, Kentucky
• Walter Clayton Jr., Florida
• Donovan Dent, New Mexico
• Hunter Dickinson, Kansas
• Eric Dixon, Villanova
• Cooper Flagg, Duke
• Keshon Gilbert, Iowa State
• Ja’Kobe Gillespie, Maryland
• PJ Haggerty, Memphis
• Dylan Harper, Rutgers
• Chucky Hepburn, Louisville
• Josh Hubbard, Mississippi State
• Chase Hunter, Clemson
• Graham Ike, Gonzaga
• Ian Jackson, North Carolina
• Kasparas Jakucionis, Illinois
• Curtis Jones, Iowa State
• Kam Jones, Marquette
• Alex Karaban, UConn
• Trey Kauffman-Renn, Purdue
• Kon Knueppel, Duke
• Chaz Lanier, Tennessee
• Yaxel Lendeborg, UAB
• Caleb Love, Arizona
• RJ Luis, St. John’s
• Nick Martinelli, Northwestern
• Jamal Mashburn Jr., Temple
• Trent McLaughlin, Northern Arizona
• Jacksen Moni, North Dakota State
• Collin Murray-Boyles, South Carolina
• Ryan Nembhard, Gonzaga
• Asa Newell, Georgia
• Norchad Omier, Baylor
• Otega Oweh, Kentucky
• Zhuric Phelps, Texas A&M
• Maxime Raynuad, Stanford
• Hunter Sallis, Wake Forest
• Mark Sears, Alabama
• Emanuel Sharp, Houston
• Javon Small, West Virginia
• Braden Smith, Purdue
• John Tonje, Wisconsin
• Darrion Williams, Texas Tech
• Danny Wolf, Michigan
• Zakai Zeigler, Tennessee

Since the 1958-59 season, the USBWA has named a National Player of the Year. In 1998, the award was named in honor of the University of Cincinnati Hall of Famer and two-time USBWA Player of the Year Oscar Robertson. It is the nation’s oldest award and the only one named after a former player.

The U.S. Basketball Writers Association was formed in 1956 at the urging of then-NCAA Executive Director Walter Byers. With some 900 members worldwide, it is one of the most influential organizations in college basketball. It has selected an All-America team since the 1956-57 season. For more information on the USBWA and the Oscar Robertson Trophy, contact executive director Malcolm Moran at 814-574-1485.

The Gamecocks are off in the midweek with a trip to No. 14/14 Kentucky (15-6, 4-4 SEC) on deck Saturday. Tip is set for noon (ET) with John Schriffen (pxp) and Daymeon Fishback (analyst) on the call for the ESPN/2 broadcast.

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