These recent seasons at Wisconsin have featured something of untapped potential. Greg Gard’s program has made the Big Dance in all but two of his ten seasons at the helm and a big part of last year’s success was their fortune in the transfer portal. In the end, the Badgers fell in the opening weekend yet again but the rise of John Tonje was a major reason for their success and they’re hoping to find more diamonds like him in the near future.
After previous success at Colorado State and Missouri, Tonje developed into an All-American, averaging nearly 20 points per game but he wasn’t the only important figure for the Badgers. A big reason why there’s excitement for next season is the return of John Blackwell, an intriguing guard who managed just under 16 points per game. Fellow sophomore Nolan Winter returns to anchor the frontcourt though there’ll be plenty of new pieces around them.
Wisconsin added some size in Elijah Gray and Austin Rapp, with the latter likely becoming one of those starters beside Winter in the frontcourt. Braeden Carrington joins with potential after decent work with Minnesota and Tulsa while former Summit League Rookie of the Year Andrew Rohde will look to rediscover his former after a few years out at Virginia. Throw in local 4-star guard Zach Kinziger and the Badgers have some meat in their lineup, but there’s someone else who really stands out.
Nick Boyd has already had an eventful collegiate career and joins the Badgers for his final year of eligbility. This 6-3 guard spent four years at Florida Atlantic, becoming a starter as a redshirt sophomore on their team that advanced to the Final Four. He transferred to San Diego State last year, putting up 13.4 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 3.9 assists as the leading scorer and distributor for the Aztecs. Now he becomes a major cog in the Badgers’ backcourt, hoping to build on a 37% mark from the 3 in his career.
Last season saw Boyd show potential in nearly every aspect of his game. He’s not going to exactly slide into the role Tonje vacated, but he’ll provide a certain lift for the Badgers. Boyd should be a double-digit scorer, a valuable ball distributor, and someone who’ll affect the game on multiple levels. He was a menace at each of his first two collegiate stops and Badgers fans should fall in love with his game just a few weeks into the season.
San Diego State’s loss is Wisconsin’s gain as the Badgers have built one of the league’s best backcourt duos. Their depending a lot on Blackwell to pick up the slack and have an incredible junior year, but there’s no question that Boyd has a special role to play. These two will build off each other as the season develops. Boyd’s veteran experience should also prove important as the Badgers hope to make the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament for the first time in a decade.