Wisconsin basketball held their annual Red and White Scrimmage on Sunday, and while some familiar names played well, there was one newcomer who stood above the rest.
Transfer guard Nick Boyd led all scorers in the game with 21 points, including going a perfect 10-for-10 from the free throw line. He added three rebounds and two assists in his first semi-real action as a Badger. Nolan Winter, John Blackwell and Austin Rapp all also hit double figures, but it was Boyd who took over the game and sunk the game winning free throws.
Newcomer Nick Boyd shows off scoring ability in Badgers' scrimmage
While Blackwell and Winter figure to be major figures on this year's squad, Wisconsin was still needing another scorer to offset the production lost from John Tonje's departure. Enter Nick Boyd, a transfer from San Diego State and new running mate for Blackwell. It's a small sample, but it already looks like Boyd has the ability to take some of the pressure off of Blackwell, as well as put up some impressive numbers of his own.
Boyd averaged 13.4 points per game last year with the Aztecs, and similar production with the Badgers would be ideal for an offense that had to replace three starters from last year's team. He showed confidence and a strong ability to push the ball downhill for Wisconsin on Sunday. He frequently got to the basket and, like Tonje, drew fouls and made shots from the charity stripe.
While the Badgers will look very different this year, expectations remain high. Boyd has made a strong case to already be one of Wisconsin's top players, and he'll get to prove it soon when the Badgers open up their season against Campbell on November 3rd.