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Greg Gard pitting John Blackwell and Nick Boyd against each other to ramp up Badgers practice intensity

Wisconsin Badgers guards John Blackwell and Nick Boyd are both "alphas" according to Greg Gard, who intentionally puts them against each other to drive their competitive spirit.
Lorin Cox|
Dec 9, 2023; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Wisconsin Badgers guard John Blackwell (25) talks to Wisconsin Badgers head coach Greg Gard during the second half at McKale Center.
Dec 9, 2023; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Wisconsin Badgers guard John Blackwell (25) talks to Wisconsin Badgers head coach Greg Gard during the second half at McKale Center. | Zachary BonDurant-Imagn Images

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Wisconsin Badgers

A little friendly competition is going a long way for Wisconsin Badgers summer basketball practices.

Greg Gard is getting this year's team a lot of time scrimmaging on the court, and he's been intentional about structuring those matches to ramp up the intensity.

He sees guards John Blackwell and Nick Boyd as his team's two most competitive players, so he has been pitting them against each other on the court.

"I've intentionally kept them on opposite teams just because they’re both alphas," Gard told reporters last week. "To have them, spar off or face off against each other is good. I think it's good for both of them to keep pushing each other's bar a little higher."

Boyd transferred in from San Diego State, where he put up career highs in points and assists this past season.

He gives the Badgers more of a pure point guard than they had last season, allowing Blackwell to play more as a scorer off the ball instead of the team's primary ball-handler.

Both guards can run the offense and push each other to be the best versions of themselves. They're setting the bar for the type of intensity Gard wants from his team this season.

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Lorin Cox
LORIN COX

Lorin Cox is the managing editor of Wisconsin Badgers on SI. He has been covering Badgers sports since 2014, when he was an undergraduate at the University of Wisconsin. He previously wrote for the Wisconsin State Journal, NBC Sports Chicago and USA Today Sports Media Group, and he is a former analyst for Pro Football Focus.

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