Collin Murray-Boyles
Forward
Elite playmaking forward on both sides of the ball.
Collin Murray-Boyles has been one of the more mercurial prospects in this class—an undersized player with a seemingly anachronistic playstyle. Given that, the trepidation surrounding his potential high draft selection is certainly reasonable. He sports a paltry three-point attempt rate for a wing-sized player and an arguably more concerning blocked field goal attempt rate of 8%, which would be tied for the highest of any player drafted in the past five lotteries.
However unconventional Murray-Boyles’ skillset may be, his impact is undeniable. Despite South Carolina’s struggles this year, there may not have been a player who carried a heavier two-way burden. According to Databallr, Murray-Boyles ranked in the 100th percentile in rim frequency on offense and the 91st percentile on defense. His on-off rim accuracy was similarly elite: 98th percentile offensively and 96th percentile defensively. This level of impact at the rim was evident in both of his seasons at South Carolina.
While it took CMB time to acclimate to a drastic shift in usage this season—as he transitioned from a complementary piece to a featured offensive option—he consistently elevated his play as the year progressed. By the end of a rigorous conference schedule, Murray-Boyles had put together one of the more dominant stretches of play in the country, especially considering the caliber of competition and the lack of support around him.
Admittedly, South Carolina was a subpar offensive team overall; in fact, all evidence suggests they were historically inept by Power Conference standards without Murray-Boyles on the court. One of the most impressive aspects of his game—something traditional stats fail to capture—is how translatable his specific style of facilitation is. As previously mentioned, Murray-Boyles is a relentless and potent driver, consistently collapsing defenses and kicking out to generate wide-open threes. Unfortunately, South Carolina lacked the perimeter shooting talent to capitalize, finishing 289th nationally in three-point percentage.
Eventually, the coaching staff recognized that their best hope for a competent offense was to abandon their traditional two-big lineups and instead space the floor to optimize Murray-Boyles’ driving opportunities. The results spoke for themselves, producing the team’s best offensive performances of the season and keeping them competitive with the eventual National Champion Florida Gators.
In the end, while Collin Murray-Boyles doesn’t possess the conventional skill set of a two-way star, I’m as confident in his ability to return top-five value as I am in any non-Cooper Flagg prospect in this class.
Ahmed Jama