COLUMBIA — There was always a chance he would return, as slim as it was. Collin Murray-Boyles loves his hometown and loved playing for his hometown college.
But he heard exactly what many thought he would in his NBA Draft preparation: He is considered a first-round lock, most likely a lottery pick (1-14), and most players will never get a grade better than that.
He'll do the logical thing. Murray-Boyles officially decided on May 28, the last day that he could do so, that he will vacate his final two years at South Carolina and stay in the NBA Draft.
His two-year stay with the Gamecocks was memorable, the 6-foot-8 forward averaging 13.8 points and seven rebounds for his career, and 16.8/8.3 last year. As valuable defensively as he was offensively, he finished his college days as a second-team All-SEC selection.
A pre-season bout with mono delayed but didn't deny his presence as a freshman, Murray-Boyles hitting double figures 13 times as he helped lead USC to its first NCAA Tournament berth in seven chances. He did the best he could to lift the Gamecocks in a disastrous 2024-25, scoring at least 20 points 11 times and notching a career-high 35 against Arkansas.
USC has an open scholarship if it wants to fill it, the roster nearly completely flipped after an offseason of adding and subtracting via the transfer portal. The Gamecocks will only return three members of last year's team, but a fourth player, Meechie Johnson, was on the team two years ago.
The NBA Draft will like last year be two rounds over two nights, beginning on June 25.