In a nail-biting first-round clash of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Tournament at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon, fifth-seeded Wisconn Badgers suffered an 83-82 defeat to the 12th-seeded High Point Panthers.
Senior point guard Nick Boyd delivered a standout performance for Wisconn, scoring 27 points with five rebounds, x assts, and only one turnover in his final college game. He sliced through defenses effectively, converting three straight left-handed finishes at the rim during a tied score. However, after High Point’s Chase Johnson drained a clutch three-pointer, Boyd’s go-ahead layup in the final seconds refused to drop, sealing the Badgers’ exit.
Boyd’s Historic Senior Season
Boyd averaged 20.7 points per game, becoming the first Wisconn player to reach 20.0 points nce Michael Finley in 1995. This mark places fifth in school ngle-season history, following Clarene Sherrod’s 23.8 (1971), Joe Franklin’s 22.7 (1968), Sherrod’s 22.4 (1970), and Finley’s 22.1 (1993).
He posted double-digit scoring in every outing, achieved 22 games of 20-plus points—the highest total for any Badger in three decades—and racked up 726 points overall. This edged him two points ahead of John Tonje while leaving him x short of Frank Kaminsky’s ngle-season record.
Transfer Phenom’s Reflective Journey
Boyd, who guided Florida Atlantic to the Final Four, has now experienced one-and-done NCAA Tournament runs across three programs: the Owls, San Diego State, and Wisconn.
Looking back, Boyd shared his appreciation. “I just thank God,” Boyd said. “Came a long way, man, from nothing, you know? Just trying to make a way. Got to do that with FAU. San Diego State welcomed me with open arms. I came here, you know? Expectation was always high. Came with high expectations. We had a bunch of great guys. We had the highs and lows of the season.”
“As I look back, man, I’m just grateful for every moment I spent. I’m a little different. I’m high energy, I’m competitive. Sometimes I can be a lot to accept. These guys open they arms and allowed me to be myself. Change my life forever as I go on my next journey, wherever it’s at.”
“I’m just grateful for my experiences. Man, I just want to spend as much time as I can with these guys. All three schools I went to, I have lifelong connections with these people. That’s why I think the transfer portal is such a beautiful thing in that sense.”
