The Wisconsin Badgers are entering the NCAA Tournament as one of the hottest teams in the nation, pulling off victories over the Purdue Boilermakers and the Illinois Fighting Illini in the last two weeks, while riding a five-game winning streak before their loss to the Michigan Wolverines on Saturday.
That run got the Badgers back into the AP Top 25 at No. 23, and those two ranked wins, as well as the three-point loss to Michigan gave them some national attention ahead of Selection Sunday, especially
with their elite shooting.
Since the start of the season, Wisconsin has been playing behind the eight-ball a bit after a 9-5 start to the season that included a number of rough losses. But, things really took a turn at the start of January with a three-point upset over Michigan, and then really accelerated with wins over Illinois and Michigan State in February.
Wisconsin saw quite a bit of turnover this season, especially on the leadership front, with six seniors departing and eight new players coming into the program, which was a school record. So, naturally, it took a while for this team to start gelling on both sides of the ball, with turnovers and defensive flaws being key problems to start the year.
Now, though, the Badgers are as dangerous a team as any in the country, and they have a big chip on their shoulder, with none bigger than Nick Boyd’s. The star guard has wore his emotions on his sleeve all season long, quickly becoming a fan-favorite in Madison.
But, being overlooked throughout his career, be it out of high school or even during college with the accolades he’s achieved, Boyd has always had that fire and competitiveness that has fueled him, which will be key in the NCAA Tournament.
“For me, it’s not really about wins or losses, it’s more about respect,” Boyd said after Wisconsin’s loss to Michigan in the Big Ten Tournament. “I think we did a good job earning some respect around the country, and it’s a blessing to play in March. Not everybody gets to do this. Got people biting their fingernails and stressing right now trying to get into this tournament. It’s a breath of fresh air to sit back, relax, rest up, and make a good run in March.”
When asked about what respect means to him, head coach Greg Gard pointed out how the program has generally never seen that level of respect that it likely has deserved.
“I think Wisconsin’s never been one that gets a lot of bells and whistles,” Gard acknowledged. “We’re a blue collar — I’ve seen this program grow immensely and evolve and stay so consistent, and I think that’s one thing that gets overlooked. There’s flashes in the pans in programs. Around the country you see it. They’ll have a blip on the radar.
“But for this program to stay so consistent over 25 years — and it doesn’t mean you’re going to play in the tournament every year, but the culture and the way we go about things, I think the players that come here have a great experience.”
But, that disrespect doesn’t deter Gard and the Badgers; it fuels them, knowing they have to earn it, which adds an extra chip on their shoulder.
“So we don’t get maybe the complete — we have to earn it, and that’s okay. That’s okay,” Gard said. “We have to earn the respect. I thought Boyd and Blackwell maybe should have been a little higher on the All Conference list, but this league has as much talent as it’s ever had in my 25 years. Part of it’s the 18 teams, but the depth of the talent across the board, this league hasn’t seen anything like it.
“Just got to keep — respect is least. I’m going to pull a little quote from JJ Watt. It’s about respect. You can look it up. But rent’s due every day. So we’ve got to continue to pay rent to continue to play well. Your play will get you your respect.
“I think internally within the basketball communities across the country, Wisconsin is extremely respected, and you go back to Coach Bennett, you go to Coach Ryan, the foundation of the program and what those guys did, but you have to continue to earn that. Sometimes we don’t get the attention maybe, that that’s what he was talking about, but that’s okay. We’ll earn it, and we have to go prove it on the court when the scoreboard is running.”
Another piece of bulletin-board material was both of Wisconsin’s guards’ placement on the All-Big Ten list. Boyd, who has been vocal about his play this season against some of the Big Ten’s best, was named an All-Big Ten second-team selection, while Keaton Wagler, Bennett Stirtz, Yaxel Lendeborg, Jeremy Fears Jr., and Braden Smith made up the first team.
When facing them this year, here’s how Boyd fared in comparison to the first teamers.
vs. Illinois (win)
Boyd: 25 points, five assists, two steals, 0 turnovers, 10/19 shooting, 3/5 from three
Wagler: 34 points, seven assists, five turnovers, 12/23 shooting, 5/10 from three
vs. Michigan State (win)
Boyd: 29 points, four assists, three rebounds, one turnover, 10/17 from field, 5/7 from three
Fears: 14 points, 12 assists, one turnover, 3/12 from field
vs. Purdue (win)
Boyd: 23 points, five assists, three rebounds, two turnovers, 8/13 from field
Smith: 20 points, nine assists, three rebounds, 8/18 from field, 2/7 from three
vs. Illinois (win)
Boyd: 38 points, six assists, five rebounds, three steals, three turnovers, 12/20 from field
Wagler: 19 points, eight assists, three turnovers, 8/18 from field
Whenever Boyd gets the chance to get another reason to light a fire under him, the guard takes that opportunity and uses it to fuel him. Just last week, he and Kylan Boswell picked up early technical fouls after an interaction on the first possession of the game. Right after that, Boyd got off to a scorching start, lighting up the crowd.
“It got me going,” Boyd said with a smile about the tech after the game. “Woke me up a little bit, like, ‘okay, this is the type of game it’s gonna be.‘ Yeah, I needed that, you know. Yeah, I mean, it just took it to that next level, you know, so I needed that and I’m grateful, you know, he challenged me like that. He’s a great competitor, great player. I needed that.”
While the guard said he didn’t take the first-team snub itself too personally, he knows it’s personal whenever he steps on the court
“I wouldn’t necessarily say the [second-team] selection is personal to me, but you know, every time I step on the court, it’s personal,” Boyd said, “Like, you know what I’m saying? Like I said, since day one, y’all been interviewing me since April. I’m coming here to handle business. So that’s just my motto, my attitude. Every single day I wake up.”
That mentality has been crucial for the Badgers, especially in moments where they’re facing true adversity, because the team’s leadership has been key in keeping the team leveled as they find their way back into games.
“In general, you know, that’s my outlook on life. No matter if I’m down 15 or up 20, I’m gonna have a smile on my face and I’m gonna keep chopping at the bit,” Boyd said. “But, man, just our connectedness just came a long way, and that comes with time. It’s been different for this program. It’s the first time this many transfers came into this university in a sense.
“So just trying to get adapted to the tradition for everybody, and, you know, guys who’ve been here previously and new guys like myself, it was different for both parties. And, just the way we’ve been able to rally around each other and have each other’s back and do some special things together. And I’m just looking forward to creating more and more memories.”
Wisconsin’s path in the NCAA Tournament starts on Thursday against High Point, where they’ll look to make a run and make some memories with Boyd and John Blackwell at the helm. As they look to reach the second weekend for the first time since 2017, that chip on their shoulder will be a key part of their drive along the way.
