Michigan basketball's head coach, Dusty May, took the podium at Big Ten Media Days, and someone asked about Nick Boyd. Boyd played for May while they were both at FAU when the Owls went on that incredible Final Four run. May was beaming as he talked about Boyd, "That's my guy!" he said. "He's one of the big reasons why I'm sitting at this stage now."
Boyd was May's starting point guard for that Florida Atlantic Final Four team, averaging 8.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game. However, his relationship with May started well before that, and during his first season, Boyd was stuck on the bench rehabbing a foot injury. May said he was like an assistant coach on the bench.
Dusty May says he will be rooting for the Wisconsin Badgers when they aren't playing Michigan
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"He essentially became a coach, an assistant coach to me that year, and some of our conversations still stick with me to this day," May said about that time when Boyd and he really worked together to help the FAU team become great.
May made sure that everyone understood that Boyd is an exceptional player and an even better person, "He's a competitor, he brings out the best in people, he loves the game, and has a will to win that really fit our staff...Nick will be a part of my life forever."
For May, he's going to be rooting for the Badgers when the Wolverines aren't facing them. He said, "We are going to try to bust them up in Ann Arbor this year, but other than that, I'm going to be rooting like hell for those guys. I'm going to be a fan of the Badgers, every other night because of Nick."
Wisconsin's head coach, Greg Gard, also loves what he's getting in Nick Boyd, and because of the veteran point guard, there are a lot of hopes and dreams about what this season can be for the Badgers. Dusty May won't be the only one rooting for the Badgers.