South Carolina basketball gets boost to lineup before George Washington game

The hometown freshman is set to make his debut for South Carolina against George Washington.

Forward Collin Murray-Boyles missed the first seven games of the season after his diagnosis with mono on Nov. 1. He was expected to bring additional physicality and depth at forward for the Gamecocks.

Head coach Lamont Paris said following USC’s win over Notre Dame Tuesday night that Murray-Boyles was cleared to practice, and his return time was “sometime soon.”

“I was so happy for the kid,” Paris said following the win over Notre Dame. “Imagine being out of basketball and it not be a part of your life as a freshman in college and you have those expectations.”

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Paris said Murray-Boyles lost weight since his diagnosis in November, after spending the offseason back in his hometown and working on building muscle.

Murray-Boyles, from Wasatch Academy, was the 4A South Carolina Player of the Year and won a state championship with his local high school, AC Flora High School his junior year.