Yardbarker
x
Wisconsin Badgers: Speedy Guard Outlines Perfect Fit Within 2025-26 Offense
Impact Badgers: Key to Wisconsin Basketball Success Could Be 6-foot-3 Transfer 1 Mar 18, 2025; Dayton, OH, USA; San Diego State Aztecs guard Nick Boyd (2) dribbles the ball defended by North Carolina Tar Heels guard Drake Powell (9) in the first half at UD Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

With the Wisconsin Badgers basketball team ramping up preparations for the upcoming season, some early flashes have been shown by the offense.

Wisconsin has undergone a serious face-lift after putting nearly every egg into the John Tonje basket a year ago. The Badgers added a commitment from former Missouri transfer Tonje without realizing the future impact on the team the talented wing would have. Fast-forward to the end of the season and the Badgers are left without the one-year rental who left a mark on the program and also accounted for 19.6 points per game that will need to come from somewhere else.

The Wisconsin Badgers landed a handful of players within the transfer portal, but the man many have tabbed as the offensive replacement for Tonje is San Diego State transfer Nick Boyd. The guard has an extensive collegiate past that includes stops with two different notable programs and plenty of games played in March.

Early on, the Wisconsin staff has been thoroughly impressed with both the speed and motor of Boyd, who could take the offense to new heights with the right season.

Can the Wisconsin Badgers Find a Perfect Harmony Offensively With Guard Nick Boyd?

With an up-tempo offense designed to take outside shots and one of the fastest players on the court in Madison, the Badgers offense should hit new heights during the upcoming season. Nobody has been quite as perfectly designed for success within the Badgers offense like Boyd, and given the cast of teammates surrounding the guard, the upcoming season should be a competitive one.

With the basketball in hand, Boyd is one of the fastest players in the country on the court and the guard does not just use his speed to score the basketball. Boyd is a capable play-maker who can pass, score, or pull-up at full-speed which makes defending the guard incredibly difficult. Smaller, quicker players often need to cover Boyd which creates for a mismatch when the 6-foot-3-inch guard has the basketball in his hands beyond the arc.


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

When not running the offense or looking to make a play, Boyd utilizes his athleticism to create space and shift the defense away. Wisconsin has a team that on paper will have more weapons offensively outside of Boyd, which should allow the guard to mainly battle against one defender instead of having to worry about pesky double-teams.

If Boyd himself does not have a transformative year on offense, then surely the guard will be able to fuel the success of another player on offense for the Wisconsin Badgers given all the tools possessed by the guard.


Wisconsin Badgers Basketball: A Scary 3-Headed Monster? Nick Boyd Says Trio With John Blackwell, Andrew Rohde Can Be the Best in the Country 3 Feb 8, 2025; Fort Collins, Colorado, USA; San Diego State Aztecs guard Nick Boyd (2) drives to the net against Colorado State Rams guard Jalen Lake (15) in the first half at Moby Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

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

More must-reads:

Customize Your Newsletter

Yardbarker +

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!