The Badgers got some help in the process to land their star point guard.
The Wisconsin Badgers were one of the more successful teams in the transfer portal this offseason, as they landed multiple early commitments before filling out their team’s depth with other finds.
One of those early commitments was San Diego State transfer Nick Boyd, who was an early priority target for the Badgers at the point guard position.
Boyd, a 6’3, 175-pound guard, spent last season with the Aztecs, where he averaged 13.4 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 3.9 assists as the team’s lead guard. Before that, he was a key component on FAU’s Final 4 team back in 2023 as a starter who shot 40 percent from three.
With significant experience on his resume, it made sense for the Badgers to target Boyd to lead their offense, especially when considering the fit in the system.
However, the Badgers did get some help from a familiar face to identify Boyd early in the process before ultimately prioritizing him in the transfer portal: Brad Davison.
“[The Nick Boyd recruitment] was interesting,” assistant Joe Krabbenhoft said on The Swing podcast this week. “A guy by the name of Brad Davison sent me a text probably around Christmas. He said coach, ‘I won’t name names, but got a couple of agents and a couple of people that I know that said this guy potentially could be available.’”
After that, Krabbenhoft and the Badgers had a close eye on the point guard, quickly determining that he’d be a good fit for the program.
“Started watching him pretty close. Obviously, knew who he was at San Diego State. You hear of those guys often, but looking back at his FAU days. So, just kept my eye on him throughout the rest of the year, watched film a little bit, [and] got to kind of know his game. And so that started pretty early.
“As soon as things kind of came into fruition and he went into the portal, we made contact really quick with Nick because we knew the fit was tremendous, both on and off the court. So, that’s just how it goes.”
With how many players enter the transfer portal nowadays, staffs are always on the lookout for potential options both before the year starts and throughout the year. That ended up working out here for the Badgers, as they got a strong point guard to complement John Blackwell in the backcourt for the upcoming season.
If Wisconsin was lacking something in their starting lineup in 2024-25, it was the presence of a true point guard and initiator in the starting five. Boyd’s inclusion could help run a smoother offense, while allowing Blackwell to play more off the ball, where he was a fantastic shooter as a freshman.