The Wisconsin Badgers’ backcourt duo from the 2025-26 season is among the players with connections to the state who will have the opportunity to impress NBA scouts in Chicago.
Nick Boyd and John Blackwell became the latest former Badgers to earn invitations to the NBA combine, the league announced May 1. Former Pewaukee standout Milan Momcilovic and Ashwaubenon’s Amari Allen also were among the 73 players to earn combine invitations.
Blackwell recently transferred to Duke after three seasons at Wisconsin, but he also announced he was testing the NBA draft waters when he entered the transfer portal April 6. Blackwell scored more than 1,500 points in his three seasons with the Badgers – the only high-major team to offer him a scholarship out of high school.
Boyd had a starring role in his one season as Wisconsin’s starting point guard after spending four years at Florida Atlantic and one year at San Diego State. He was the first UW player to average 20-plus points per game in a season since Michael Finley in 1995.
The 6-foot-8 Momcilovic thrived in three seasons at Iowa State under St. Thomas More alum T.J. Otzelberger’s tutelage, most recently averaging 16.9 points per game and earning second-team all-Big 12 recognition in 2025-26. He entered the transfer portal in addition to declaring for the draft.
Allen, the 2025 Wisconsin Gatorade Player of the Year, averaged 11.4 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game as a freshman at Alabama in 2025-26. The 6-8 forward earned SEC all-freshman team honors after the season.
The combine will be from May 10-17 at Wintrust Arena and the Marriott Marquis in Chicago. Players with remaining college eligibility have until May 27 to withdraw from the draft and retain their eligibility.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Which Badgers, Wisconsin natives earned NBA combine invitations in 2026?
Reporting by John Steppe, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
