Heading into this year's NBA Draft Combine, arguably no player had more to gain, or lose, than former Wisconsin Badger guard Nick Boyd. The 25-year-old guard is riding the momentum of a sensational senior season at Wisconsin in which he averaged 20.7 points, 3.8 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game, thrusting him into draft conversations. However, Boyd has a lot working against him, as his age and lack of elite physical gifts make him far less appealing than other prospects with similar levels of production.
Boyd was able to build some momentum through the testing portion of the combine, showcasing his quickness and speed by recording the second-fastest three-quarter sprint time at 3.07 seconds. The 6-foot-3 guard was able to carry that momentum into his first scrimmage as well, making his case to be a second-round pick in this year's draft.
Pure Point Domination
Boyd’s performance may have been surprising to some, but to Badger fans, it came as no surprise. He finished the game with 23 points, 8 assists, and 5 rebounds, showcasing exactly what made him so potent this past year at Wisconsin. He was aggressive as ever, hunting his spots and playing with purpose, shining as an offensive talent in a room full of stars.
Boxscore from Game 2 of the NBA draft combine.
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) May 13, 2026
Big outing from Baylor's Cam Carr dropping 30 points on 6/12 for 3.
Tennessee's Ja'Kobi Gillespie chipped in 28 points and 5 assists.
Wisconsin's Nick Boyd with 23 points, 8 assists.
20 points for Kentucky's Otega Oweh pic.twitter.com/ERLZBb9bfH
Boyd attempted a game-high 20 shots, nine of which were threes, converting them at 45% and 33.3% clips, respectively. He did struggle from the free-throw line, however, knocking down just two of his six attempts, but his full-season sample size — where he converted 83% of his looks at the charity stripe — should outweigh one poor performance.
Despite playing very well, Boyd was by no means perfect, as some of the same things that held him back this past season at Wisconsin plagued his performance today. Boyd had a game-high five turnovers and recorded zero steals or blocks, adding to the skepticism surrounding his NBA projection. NBA teams know he can put pressure on defenses as a scorer and playmaker, but proving he can do the little things — like taking care of the ball and being a pest on defense — remains a question.
With all that said, his play will 100% work in his favor as a prospect, as at the very least, he proved that he can still impact the game as a scorer. Whether he can consistently do the other things remains to be seen, but for now, Boyd is trending upward.
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