South Carolina climbs in latest AP poll ranking

Becoming ranked was one of the goals South Carolina had in mind for this year. Now, it’s about winning games and continuing to move up.

In the latest edition of the AP poll, the Gamecocks checked in at No. 11. They were ranked 15th last week and beat both Ole Miss and Vanderbilt at home.

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On the year, South Carolina is 21-3 and 9-2 in SEC play, which puts it tied for first in the conference standings.

As the schedule moves along, the competition has continued to get better. The Gamecocks are now 3-2 in Quadrant 1 games and 5-0 in Q2.

Up next for South Carolina will be a road trip to face No. 13 Auburn. The Tigers are coming off a road loss against Florida over the weekend. Tip-off is at 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday.

Collin Murray-Boyles scores career-high 31 points in win over Vanderbilt

By Peyton Butt

The sky is the limit for Freshman Collin Murray-Boyles as he continues to shine on the court. In South Carolina’s 75-60 over Vanderbilt, Murray-Boyles scored a career-high 31 points.

“His ceiling is unbelievably high, obviously that doesn’t always translate to what the box score looks like. He had 31 maybe that will ultimately one day be his career high,” head coach Lamont Paris said. “But just in terms of evolving as a player. It’s amazing to see how much more room there is for him to grow as a basketball player.”

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In his big game against Vanderbilt, Murray-Boyles scored 11 points in the first half and 20 in the second. Additionally, his success benefited from his team’s combined 31 rebounds throughout the game.

“I just play to play. I was in the right spot, my teammates got me the ball that wasn’t just me,” Murray-Boyles said. “That was my teammates making rebounds and my coaches calling out plays for me to get open sometimes and then I found my open teammates. We picked it up in the second half so it all just fell into place.”

Nevertheless, Murray-Boyles brings skills to the court years beyond his experience as a freshman. Likewise, his talent and skills have helped him make a name for himself in the SEC early on in his career.

“He’s got unbelievable energy then you combine that with tremendous athleticism. His instincts on both sides of the ball are way ahead of the curve on just his natural basketball instincts,” Paris said. “On those three things alone, forget about any basketball skill, the ability to attack and pass and play off the dribble, the ability to shoot from the perimeter, forget anything else. He’s got incredible touch, you saw that.”

In recent days, Murray-Boyles has made national headlines for a major block to secure a win over Ole Miss. The Columbia native has overcome illness and struggles this season to bounce back to where he is today.

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“He’s putting the world on notice for what’s to come. Local guy here, from Columbia, so it just shows the talent that’s all over the country,” fellow Gamecock BJ Mack said. “I’m glad that you see all the work that he’s done coming true, you know it’s 30 for 30.’ 

Gamecock fans recognized Murray-Boyles’ success accordingly with a standing ovation in the game against Vanderbilt.

“I felt all the energy from the whole CLA, all the students, I felt all of that and I appreciate every single bit of it,” Murray-Boyles said. “That was my first time getting one of those so great feeling, love the fans.” 

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