3 Big Reasons Why Losing John Blackwell Isn’t a Disaster For Wisconsin
The Badgers lost their star guard on Monday. Is it the worst case scenario?
MADISON, WISCONSIN - FEBRUARY 25: John Blackwell #25 of the Wisconsin Badgers dribbles up court during the second half of the game against the Washington Huskies at Kohl Center on February 25, 2025 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images) | Getty Images As many were expecting, star guard John Blackwell has left the Wisconsin Badgers for the transfer portal, which opened on Tuesday. I held out some hope that Greg Gard could convince Blackwell to return to Madison for year four, but reports are already circulating about the wild riches awaiting him in the portal, with some saying that his price tag will be in the $4 million (or more) range .
This is rarefied air that the Badgers were never going to approach. But all is not lost, and here are three reasons why this is tough but not a debacle for the Badgers. Greg Gard is a Portal Ace AJ Storr.
John Tonje. Nick Boyd. What do these players all have in common besides transferring to Madison as non-elite prospects and ending up legit stars in year one?
I’ll say it: Greg Gard. Whatever the Wisconsin coach has lacked in normal recruiting prowess, he’s been a ringer in the portal , locking up three consecutive classes with real stars. It’s probably time to stop saying Gard is lucky and start admitting he knows what he’s doing.