Nick Boyd and the Wisconsin Badgers take pride in being the Big Ten's villains. On Friday, their villainy was kicked into gear when Kylan Boswell made the ill-advised decision to chirp in Boyd’s face after a traveling turnover (on the first possession of the game, mind you). Double technical fouls were assessed, but that did not stop Boyd.
That moment was all the fuel Boyd needed.
Boswell managed just nine points, while Boyd delivered a career-high 38 in Wisconsin’s 91-88 overtime win over ninth-ranked Illinois. The victory was so stunning, Illinois head coach Brad Underwood apologized to his athletic director afterward.
This fiery performance only intensified the response from Illini fans on X, where Boyd quickly became a target.
Illinois fans can’t stand Nick Boyd.
Let’s start this out with a retired Chicago sports writer, Dave Wischnowsky.
I really do not like Nick Boyd.
— Dave Wischnowsky (@wischlist) March 13, 2026
I don't like punks.
— Dave Wischnowsky (@wischlist) March 13, 2026
And here are some of the replies
Jeremy Fears Jr is embarrassed by all the flopping Nick Boyd does
— Team Vulture (@TeamVulture) March 13, 2026
I don’t like him either. Seems pretty smug. Too cocky for my taste. Stop the antics and play the game.
— Brett McCullough (@bmccullough26) March 13, 2026
Such a punk!
— Illinigirl62 (@hsjphil01) March 13, 2026
He’s a rat
— WestSuburbanAFC (@WestSuburbanAFC) March 13, 2026
And here are some more reactions just for good measure:
Nick Boyd getting all the star calls.
— Jeremy Werner (@JWerner247) March 13, 2026
Should’ve foul him super hard in the second half. Also how were his antics not taunting
— BM Eddy (@illinieddy) March 14, 2026
We have a rash of old men playing CBB that should update LinkedIn.
— Nuclear “Redd Alert” Altmeyer, MBA (@NukeAltmeyeIL) March 14, 2026
26: Tyon Grant-Foster - Zaga
25: Lassina Traore - Texas
24: Nick Boyd - Wisky (turns 25 in April)
Adam Miller - Zaga
Nimarri Burnett - UM
extra COVID year was a massive mistake. This should never happen again.
Yeah I’d probably like him if he was on my team. Just can’t get over his punchable face
— Kofi Cockburnivic (@KofiCockburnvic) March 13, 2026
It was the Badgers’ second overtime victory over the Illini this season, and both followed a similar script. Wisconsin would find itself down double-digits in the second half, make a rally, miss a chance to win at regulation, and then hold on for dear life to earn the upset. In both games, John Blackwell missed both shots to win in regulation, and Illinois’ star freshman Keaton Wagler missed three pointers at the final buzzer.
As Illinois stews about their loss (and the officials), Wisconsin and Nick Boyd look ahead to another pivotal challenge: the third-ranked Michigan Wolverines in the Big Ten semifinals. Notably, Wisconsin is the only team in the Big Ten to have handed Michigan a conference loss this season. As of Saturday morning, Michigan sits as a staunch 12.5-point favorite. Still, Wisconsin was an even bigger underdog back in January—and we all remember how that game ended at the Crisler Center.