Jay Murphy: Boston College All‑Big East Star & NBA Forward
Uncover the story of Jay Murphy—Boston College’s All‑Big East standout, 6'9" power forward, drafted 31st in 1984, who played four NBA seasons before a successful European career and Hall of Fame honor.
Jul 25, 2025814 Shares162.8K Views
Jay Dennis Murphy was born on June 26, 1962, in Meriden, Connecticut. He grew up in that city before attending Francis T. Maloney High School in Meriden, where he first stood out as a tall and athletic young man at 6 ft 9 in, weighing around 220 lb.
While still in high school, he showed both size and skill as a forward, helping Maloney become one of Connecticut’s stronger teams. His high school success led him to receive a spot at Boston College, setting the foundation for his future in college basketball.
College career
Jay Murphyplayed college basketball at Boston Collegefrom 1980 to 1984, where he starred as a power forwardat 6 ft 9 in and 220 lb. Over 123 games, he averaged about 14.6 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 0.8 assistsper game, with a 49.6% shooting ratefrom the field. As a freshman (1980–81), he earned a place on the Big East All-Freshman Teamand scored 9.3 pointsper game on nearly 51.4% shooting.
In his junior year (1982–83), he posted 17.7 pointsand 8.1 reboundsper game in 32 games. He also ranked among the top players in field goal (49.2%), rebounding, and steals in the Big East. In his senior year (1983–84), he led Boston College with 19.8 pointsand 7.3 reboundsper game. His scoring and rebounding helped the team reach the NCAA Tournament, and he earned First-Team All‑Big Easthonors.
By graduation, he ranked sixth in school history in scoring(1,795 points) and seventh in rebounding(763 boards). He was also a three-time All‑Big East pick, earning Second-Team in 1983 and First-Team honors in his senior year. Additionally, he was named to the 1983 Big East All-Tournament Team, highlighting his strong performances during that postseason.
Professional Career
Jay Murphy was selected in the second round (31st pick overall)of the 1984 NBA Draftby the Golden State Warriors but was immediately traded to the Los Angeles Clippers. He played two seasons with the Clippers, appearing in 23 gamesin his first season and averaging about 1.2 points and 1.8 rebounds per gamein 6.5 minutes per game. He was waived in December 1985.
For the 1985–86 season, he played for the Springfield Famein the United States Basketball League (USBL). In September 1986, he returned to the NBA and signed with the Washington Bullets, where he spent two seasons.
With the Bullets, Murphy appeared in 21 games in 1986–87, averaging 3.4 points and 1.9 rebounds in 6.7 minutes per game, and in 1987–88, he played 9 games, averaging 2.2 points and 1.8 reboundsin 5.1 minutes per game. In total, he played 67 NBA gamesover four seasons with the Clippers and Bullets. His career averages were 2.4 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 0.2 assists per game.
After leaving the NBA, Murphy continued his playing career in Europe. He joined Paris Basket Racingin France for the 1989–90 season, then ASVEL Lyon-Villeurbannein France for 1990–91, and afterward played in Italyfor Fabriano Basketfrom 1991 to 1995. Murphy finished his basketball journey in 1995. He was later inducted into the Boston College Varsity Club Athletic Hall of Fame in 1999.
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