2018 Southwest G Chris Murray talks college commitment and season ahead
Last week, Embry-Riddle landed the commitment of 2018 Southwest guard Chris Murray.
The 6’6″, 205-pounder says many factors weighed into him making his commitment this early in the process.
“I feel like this is the best fit for me to help me become a better student, player and most importantly, a better person,” Murray told Prep Hoops Florida. “Having a coaching staff that truly cares about me and will push me to improve every day was a huge component to making my decision.
I will also have the ability to be a key contributor to the team if the necessary work is put in. The distance away from Miami is also perfect (4 hours). Because Embry-Riddle is such a good academic school, a degree from there will be extremely helpful to me in life after basketball.”
Southwest finished fifth in Class 9A-District 15 a year ago with a 10-10 record overall. The Eagles graduated six seniors last season so Murray says that forced him into a leadership role which helped him grow in many ways.
“I learned that being a junior at the time and one of the most experienced varsity players for Southwest would mean that my teammates would look up to me. This challenged me to lead throughout the season and push my teammates, along with myself to get better day in and day out,” he said. “With the ball being in my hands more than it was in my first two seasons, the part of my game that improved the most was my ball handling and overall confidence.”
As for his role this season, Murray says it will be similar to last year’s but only at a higher level.
“Rebounding, defending, scoring, bringing energy and effort on a daily basis is what I will be expected to do consistently,” he said.
Murray focused on expanding his overall game and improving his guard skills this past summer. He played for the Florida Legacy in his one and only AAU season. Murray says it was a great experience playing with and going against other talented players from all over the country.
Basketball all started as a hobby for him at age 7, but four years later he joined a rec league and fell in love with the game.
Murray pointed to his inside scoring, ability to defend multiple positions and play with a high-motor and energy as his biggest strengths. He wants to continue to improve his outside shooting/ball handling and his upper body explosiveness.
Before committing to Embry-Riddle, Murray drew interest from Austin Peay, Barry, Northern Arizona, Florida Tech, Rice, Eckerd and Eastern Florida.
An underrated talent down in Miami, Murray has done well for himself in terms of drawing college interest. He picked a very good program in Embry-Riddle where he’ll get his opportunity on the court. He plans to study business administration. Look for Murray to have his best overall season as a senior.