Wisconsin's new point guard, Nick Boyd, was the best player on the court, not just on the Badgers, but on the entire court. The lights came on, and he went crazy vs. Providence, having a career day with 36 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists. He was basically unstoppable out there and was played with confidence and hustle all game. Yet, when asked after the game about his career day, he had a very unselfish answer.
Evan Flood of On3.com asked Nick Boyd, "Obviously, a pretty special stat line all around for you today. Is there one aspect of your performance that maybe you take the most pride in?"
Without missing a beat, Boyd had two answers to that question: "Yeah, I mean, the turnovers, I think I had zero turnovers today. Coach told me that, so yeah, the turnovers and then the assists, getting my guys involved."
Nick Boyd was proud of the fact that he didn't have any turnovers vs. Providence
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Boyd scored the most points he's ever scored in a game today, in a city he spent a ton of time in, in front of family and friends, and yet the stats he focuses on are how he takes care of the ball and how he helps his teammates score. This is the mentality that Greg Gard loves in Boyd.
This is also what makes him special; he takes advantage of scoring when the ball is in his hands, but also is constantly scanning for how to get his teammates an open look. Add the fact that he had the ball for most of Wisconsin's possessions, and he had zero turnovers, which is huge.
It's also great to hear that the first thing Gard wanted to emphasize with Boyd was the turnovers. It's a point of emphasis for his Badger program. Gard is constantly evaluating and working towards a better assist/turnover ratio. Having his star point guard lead the way is an important key to winning lots of basketball games.
Wisconsin takes on TCU in the Rady Children's Invitational Championship game later today at 4:30 pm on FOX.