Kentucky’s upcoming opponent, South Carolina, currently holds the worst record in the SEC. However, the Gamecocks also boast one of the brightest stars in the league.

This season hasn’t gone as South Carolina hoped, with the team struggling through SEC play. After being picked to finish last in the league last year, they surprised everyone by just missing out on the SEC regular-season title. This year, though, they are at the bottom of the standings with a 0-9 conference record.

Despite their poor performance, South Carolina remains capable of pulling off upsets. They’ve managed to push some of the league’s top teams to their limits.

A key factor in their potential to surprise is having one of the most promising players in college basketball: Collin Murray-Boyles.

Murray-Boyles entered the season as one of the top NBA draft prospects in the SEC and remains firmly in the conversation as the 2024-25 season nears its conclusion.

The 6-foot-7, 245-pound forward from Columbia, South Carolina, had a strong freshman season, making a name for himself as a pro prospect. He chose not to enter the 2024 NBA draft and instead decided to return to South Carolina without much fanfare.

“I think just knowing where I was at and just knowing what I can do to improve,” Murray-Boyles explained. “And just knowing that it wasn’t my goal. Like, my goal coming to college was never to be a one and done. I was always just focused on being here with my college and just playing at the best of my ability. And the draft wasn’t really my number one priority.”

Even though Murray-Boyles was projected as a potential first-round pick after his freshman year, staying in school was considered risky. Nevertheless, the 20-year-old sophomore has maintained his high draft potential, despite his team’s struggles.

In the latest ESPN ranking of the top 100 prospects for the 2025 NBA draft, Murray-Boyles is placed at No. 19, with only Oklahoma’s Jeremiah Fears (No. 10) and Texas’ Tre Johnson (No. 11) ahead of him from the SEC.

His unique skill set and untapped potential as a shooter could push an NBA team to select him higher in the draft, with some mock drafts projecting him as a top-10 pick.

South Carolina forward Collin Murray-Boyles is seen as a first-round pick in the upcoming NBA draft. Joshua Boucher jboucher@thestate.com As the Gamecocks prepare for Saturday’s matchup at Rupp Arena, Murray-Boyles is averaging 15.5 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.4 blocks, and 1.6 steals per game. He’s also shooting 59.7% from the field, maintaining the same shooting efficiency as last season, despite taking more shots per game this year. This stat ranks him seventh nationally among high-major players.

Murray-Boyles has attracted significant attention from NBA scouts, particularly for his defensive versatility. According to EvanMiya.com, he’s ranked the third-best defensive player in the country this season, behind only Auburn’s Johni Broome and Mississippi State’s Cameron Matthews.

In a preseason interview, Murray-Boyles spoke about his toughest defensive assignments from his freshman year. His list showed just how versatile he is on the defensive end, guarding a wide range of opponents. Notably, he mentioned Mississippi State’s Josh Hubbard, a quick guard, and his former teammate Tolu Smith, a dominant forward.

Murray-Boyles smiled when asked about the contrasting skill sets he faces.

“That’s one of my biggest emphases — being versatile on the defensive end,” he said. “I think that’s one thing that I’ve taken as one of my number one objectives to do, just being able to guard multiple positions. I think that’s what I look forward to in a game, really, is the defensive side, because I like playing defense.”

South Carolina’s head coach, Lamont Paris, praised Murray-Boyles’ defensive abilities, noting that he takes pride in guarding various positions. Paris also highlighted Murray-Boyles’ offensive skills, pointing out his excellent basketball instincts.

“He’s got a tremendous feel for the game of basketball,” Paris said. “He’s incredibly unselfish — probably too unselfish. But he’s incredibly unselfish. … I think the things that really make him different are he’s got an incredible feel, incredible touch, and just a knack for putting the ball in the right places.”