Nick Boyd, University of Wisconsin
No. 5-seed Wisconsin, which lost to Michigan in this year’s Big Ten tournament, begins NCAA play Thursday (March 19) against No. 12 High Point. Leading the way for the Badgers are guards Nick Boyd, a sixth-year senior, and John Blackwell, a junior.
Boyd, the team’s leading scorer, transferred to Wisconsin for his final season of eligibility. “Thank you for every opportunity,” he recently posted, as a prayer to God. Boyd and his teammates, he added, have “never wavered but pulled even tighter together because of YOU Lord.” The guard, named to the All-Big Ten second team, credits his consistency and confidence this season to “leaning on God more.”
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John Blackwell, University of Wisconsin
Blackwell, now in his third season at Wisconsin, is the team’s second-leading scorer. Like Boyd, he often talks publicly about his Christian faith. During a recent slump, Blackwell said, he kept praying and trusting in “God’s timing.”
Blackwell, who grew up in a Christian home, said he began to “walk my own journey with God” during high school. In a 2024 interview with His Huddle, the athlete described how he hopes to use his platform. “I just pray I can touch people’s lives through basketball and faith,” said Blackwell. “I want to be the ultimate athlete for Christ.”
On Instagram, Blackwell posts Scriptures under a “Highlights” reel. His bio includes the biblical phrase “Seedtime and harvest.”
