South Carolina's Collin Murray-Boyles earns final NBA All-Rookie team spot

Former South Carolina forward Collin Murray-Boyles earned second-team All-Rookie Team honors following a strong opening campaign to his National Basketball Association career.

He was the final member of the team selected, collecting eight First Team and 50 Second Team votes for a total of 66 votes. Ace Bailey (Utah Jazz), Jeremiah Fears (New Orleans Pelicans), Maxime Raynaud (Sacramento Kings), and Derik Queen (Pelicans) join Murray-Boyles as members of the All-Rookie Second Team.

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Murray-Boyles spent two seasons playing for his hometown Gamecocks under head coach Lamont Paris. The Columbia, SC-native averaged 13.8 points per game during his career with South Carolina. His freshman season saw the Gamecocks reach the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2017.

The Toronto Raptors selected Murray-Boyles with the ninth pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. The selection made Murray-Boyles the first South Carolina player selected in the NBA Lottery during the modern draft era.

Additionally, Murray-Boyles is the third-highest drafted Gamecock and the ninth first-round pick in program history. He is the fourth former South Carolina player selected to an NBA All-Rookie team. He joins G.G. Jackson (2023-24), Brian Winters (1974-75), and Gary Gregor (1968-69) as All-Rookie Gamecocks.

The NBA has named an all-rookie team every year since the 1962-63 season. The league introduced the second team during the 1988-89 season.

The Raptors rookie averaged 8.5 points per game alongside five rebounds and nearly two assists per game in 57 games during the 2025-26 season. Of his 57 games, he started 22 times. While his season showcased flashes of potential, it was an up-and-down campaign for the rookie forward.

However, the former South Carolina forward turned up the heat when the 2026 NBA Playoffs began.

The former Gamecock concluded his 2026 rookie campaign while shattering many rookie records in the playoffs. In Game 3 of the first round, he became the first Raptors rookie to score 20 or more in a playoff game. In Game 4, Murray-Boyles became the third Raptors rookie to record a double-double in the NBA playoffs. He joins Scottie Barnes (2022) and Jamario Moon (2008) with that honor.

The Raptors rookie finished his first career playoffs averaging 14.4 points per game, alongside six rebounds, two assists, a block, and a steal in a seven-game series loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. His 31 points in his first two playoff games marked a Raptors rookie record.

During his exit interviews following the season, Murray-Boyles told the media the series taught him to stay disciplined. Additionally, it allowed for more mental growth.

“Just showing me what it takes to be competitors, and contenders at that,” Murray-Boyles said. ” … Just have to follow [the] scout and be more locked in on that aspect of the game … It’s a lot of things that push a team ahead.”

Now fully settled into his NBA career, he hopes to take that next step, with a new award to boot.

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