MADISON – The Wisconsin Badgers have a shot at doing something they have not done since the 1980s.
If former Wisconsin guard Nick Boyd is selected in the 2026 NBA Draft on June 23-24, it would be the Badgers’ first time with players drafted in consecutive years since 1984-87. Boyd would follow John Tonje, who was the 53rd pick (second round) in the 2025 draft.
That comes with the caveat that UW has had multiple players selected in the same draft twice during that span – in 2015 with Frank Kaminsky and Sam Dekker and in 1995 with Michael Finley and Rashard Griffith.
Boyd’s 726 points in his lone season with the Badgers were second-most in program history, trailing only Frank Kaminsky’s 732 points in 2015. He was the first UW player to average 20-plus points per game since Finley did so in 1995.
As impressive as Boyd’s sixth season of college basketball was, though, a draft selection is not necessarily something that he can afford to take for granted. Here are four prominent mock draft projections for the UW guard:
USA TODAY’s Jordan Mendoza: No. 49 to Denver Nuggets
A USA TODAY mock draft released June 22 projects Boyd to be the No. 49 pick. Interestingly, that would be one pick after the Dallas Mavericks’ second-round selection. The Mavericks’ reported coaching hire, Dusty May, coached Boyd when they were both at Florida Atlantic.
The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie: No. 45 to Sacramento Kings
The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie slotted Boyd at No. 45 in his June 18 mock draft. Vecenie separately wrote in his outlet’s draft guide that he is “much more comfortable betting on [Boyd] as a two-way player than as a guaranteed contract player,” noting the 25-year-old’s lack of size and strength.
ESPN’s Jeremy Woo: Undrafted
ESPN’s Jeremy Woo is among the prominent draft prognosticators who do not expect Boyd to be selected in this year’s draft. Woo ranked Boyd as the No. 65 prospect in his top 100 rankings on June 19.
Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Connor: No. 57 to Atlanta Hawks
Boyd is the No. 57 selection in Yahoo Sports’ mock draft, as of the morning of June 22. Writer Kevin O’Connor made the comparison to Shabazz Napier – the UConn alum who appeared in 345 games and made 55 starts in six NBA seasons.
Wisconsin Badgers selected in NBA draft in Greg Gard, Bo Ryan eras
Here are the Wisconsin players who have been drafted in the 25 seasons with either Bo Ryan (2001-15) or Greg Gard (2015-present) at the helm:
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Will Wisconsin’s Nick Boyd be picked in 2026 NBA Draft? What mock drafts say
Reporting by John Steppe, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By John Steppe, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | USA TODAY Network
