Wisconsin men's basketball lands San Diego State transfer guard Nick Boyd

San Diego State Aztecs transfer guard Nick Boyd has committed to the Wisconsin Badgers basketball team.

Greg Gard and the Wisconsin Badgers basketball program have added another proven piece from the transfer portal as they continue to reconstruct the roster.

San Diego State point guard Nick Boyd announced his commitment to the Badgers, giving Wisconsin a veteran backcourt presence with Final Four pedigree and a skill set that fits precisely what this roster needs for next season.

"I'm thrilled to play at Wisconsin," Boyd said. "It's my last year and I wanted to finish up my career at a place where I'll be able to showcase my skills at a high level in the Big Ten Conference.

“The coaching staff here has been together for a long time and most of them have playing experience here too, which spoke volumes to me about the culture."

This is a big one. Not just because Boyd’s a proven winner with plenty of meaningful experience. Not just because he’s a steady-handed, tough-minded, battle tested guard. It’s big because Wisconsin had a need—and they went out and addressed it with the kind of player who makes your team better on Day 1. And for what it’s worth, they beat out North Carolina to land Boyd—which is notable in any context, but especially in the NIL era.

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Boyd is a 6-foot-3 guard from New York who brings pace, playmaking, and poise—three things that help offset some of the production Wisconsin is losing to graduation. He’s played in 119 career games (82 starts) and has three NCAA Tournament appearances under his belt.

Boyd was a key contributor on Florida Atlantic’s Final Four run in 2023 under head coach Dusty May, then followed that up by averaging 13.4 points, 3.9 assists, and 3.9 rebounds last year for San Diego State—all while starting every game.

According to Barttorvik, Boyd posted a 3.3 points above replacement per game mark and finished with a 109.3 offensive rating—strong efficiency metrics for someone in his role. He carried a 25.2 usage rate and a 27.2 assist rate, the latter of which would’ve led Wisconsin by a wide margin last season, which shows just how much playmaking responsibility he handled.

And when you look at the numbers, they back up what the tape already tells you. Boyd is a career 37% 3-point shooter with a 2.10 assist-to-turnover ratio.

Boyd handled the ball in pressure situations, plus his balanced offensive game and overall maturity make it easy to see why he’s been one of the more sought-after guards in the transfer portal.

So yeah, Boyd fits. And then some.

What this means for Wisconsin

This move makes a ton of sense from a roster construction standpoint.

With Max Klesmit and Kamari McGee gone, the Badgers had to find someone who could take some of the playmaking load off John Blackwell in the backcourt.

Someone who could initiate the offense, steady the tempo, and hit a shot when things broke down. Boyd checks every one of those boxes for Wisconsin’s staff.

He’s not a pure point guard in the traditional sense, but that’s not what Greg Gard and Kirk Penney needed.

The Badgers needed a veteran in the room that could handle a high usage rate on offense. A guard who can operate in transition, the halfcourt, read the floor, and make the right decisions with the ball.

"We are thrilled to add someone as talented and experienced as Nick," Gard said in a statement. "He is a big-time leader and winner and we know he'll fit into our locker room from day one. He's been on the biggest stage, starting for Florida Atlantic's 2023 Final Four team and played a lot of high-level basketball.

“Everyone we talked to throughout the process stressed his tremendous leadership and his ability to impact winning. He wanted to test his game at the highest-level and add to a program with a winning culture. We think this will be a great fit for both Nick and Wisconsin."

Boyd’s ability to play on or off the ball gives Wisconsin the flexibility to move Blackwell around more freely. And with John Tonje out of eligibility, that kind of versatility could unlock another level for the rising junior should he return to UW after testing the NBA Draft waters.

You also can’t overlook the locker room component.

This is a Wisconsin team going through some real transition, with guys like Steven Crowl, Carter Gilmore, Klesmit, McGee, and Tonje all moving on. You need stabilizers in moments like this—and that’s exactly what Boyd is. A guy who’s seen it all—played in big moments—and at nearly 24 years old, knows how to help lead.

This is what portal wins look like. Boyd joins Virginia transfer Andrew Rohde and Portland forward Austin Rapp as Wisconsin's third off-season transfer portal addition. Credit to the coaching staff for being aggressive and prepared when the portal opened—identifying strong roster fits and, with an influx of NIL funds that now sits much closer to market rate, capitalizing on their offensive success to make a trio of impact additions.

Wisconsin still has a few more pieces to go out and get—maybe another wing to help offset some of the outgoing production or a rim-running big who can rebound and protect the paint—but bringing Boyd into the fold is the kind of move that makes you feel like there’s a real plan here—one you can feel good about for 2025-26.

A potential core of Blackwell, Nolan Winter, Rohde, Rapp, and Boyd is an excellent starting point in rebuilding this roster. There's a clear path forward with depth pieces like Xavier Amos and Jack Janicki coming off the bench—some internal development—and a few incoming freshmen who could push for minutes.

Things are beginning to take shape.

It’s a smart, system-fit addition with scoring upside and leadership baked in. Boyd brings a level of quickness and change of direction Gard doesn’t always have at his disposal, along with an upgrade in ball-handling—especially in transition.

In an era where the Badgers are searching for a scoring guard who can create, facilitate, and run their free-flowing offense, Boyd is exactly the kind of tone-setter that Wisconsin needed.

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