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Wisconsin Basketball Offense Could Greatly Benefit From Strong Transfer Nick Boyd 1 Wisconsin guard John Tonje (9) listens to head coach Greg Gard during the second half of their game Saturday, February 22, 2025 at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wisconsin. Oregon beat Wisconsin 77-73 in overtime.

Wisconsin Badgers Basketball Transfer Named Impact ’25-26 Player Ahead of Big Season

Originally posted on WI Sports Heroics
By Jarrett Guerrera | Last updated Jul 11, 2025 3:43 PM ET

The Wisconsin Badgers basketball program endured a serious facelift last season when an up-tempo, long-range offense was introduced.

Coach Greg Gard realized that the Badgers cannot be one dimensional and additionally needed to adapt to the new ever-changing landscape of college basketball. Gard installed a new, fast-paced offense that defied many of the previous principles of the Wisconsin offense, and the result was a more formidable output.

While the Wisconsin Badgers saw plenty of success on the court on the offensive side last season, much of the credit short-term belongs to former star John Tonje. The one-year stop in Madison proved to be an extremely successful one for Tonje, who blossomed into one of the top guards in the country while leading the Wisconsin offense. Now, without Tonje, many question marks surround the Badgers offense and what look might be delivered on the court.

Gard had to adapt on the fly this off-season with a transfer portal full of talent and a challenging numbers game that needed to be played. The Wisconsin basketball staff had to find scoring, distribution, and a scheme fit in one guard and landed on former San Diego State and FAU starter Nick Boyd.

Boyd has had his own fair share of critics especially with such massive shoes to fill, but in a recent ESPN article, some faith was displayed in the abilities of the guard. Jeff Borzello created a list of the projected top 25 schools and added an impact player that each program will likely rely upon during the upcoming season.

Nick Boyd Named Wisconsin Badgers Impact Player Ahead of Upcoming Season

Wisconsin Badgers Basketball Transfer Named Impact '25-26 Player Ahead of Big Season 2 Dec 21, 2024; San Jose, California, USA; San Diego State Aztecs guard Nick Boyd (2) gestures after making a three point basket against the California Golden Bears during the second half at SAP Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

While filling the shoes of Tonje for the Wisconsin Badgers is a difficult task for anyone, Boyd has the potential to be the perfect fit for the offense. The offense will likely go as far as Boyd can take it given his rare fit into the new Badgers scheme.

On the court, the 6-foot-3-inch guard absolutely flies with or without the basketball making covering the athlete a tiring task for any defender. Additionally, Boyd is a slippery and elusive player who uses his speed to both score and distribute the basketball. The Wisconsin Badgers played the fastest basketball of the Gard era last season and Boyd can change that fact with the right season.

Speed and tempo is a major part of any offense, but there are also scoring needs that the Badgers have that Boyd must fill. A season ago, Boyd averaged 13.4 points per game while shooting a career-high 10.5 shots per game. The guard is no stranger to taking over the main scoring duties for a team and the added expertise Boyd has as a playmaker should allow for other Wisconsin weapons to find easy shots.

Impact Badgers: Key to Wisconsin Basketball Success Could Be 6-foot-3 Transfer 2 Mar 18, 2025; Dayton, OH, USA; San Diego State Aztecs guard Nick Boyd (2) shoots the ball in the first half against the North Carolina Tar Heels at UD Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

This article first appeared on WI Sports Heroics and was syndicated with permission.

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