Portaling: John Blackwell To Duke!
It’s official: Duke is going to be a load next season
MADISON, WISCONSIN - JANUARY 03: John Blackwell #25 of the Wisconsin Badgers reacts after making a three-point shot in the first half of the game against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Kohl Center on January 03, 2025 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images) | Getty Images T his is big news: Wisconsin’s John Blackwell has committed to Duke. A 6-4 guard, Blackwell averaged 19.
1 ppg for the Badgers. A combo guard, he’ll give Duke a lot of depth in the backcourt. He clearly can shoot, but his defense is questionable at this point.
He’ll have to improve that to get minutes, but he’s clearly capable. Blackwell is a solid three-point shooter, which will help. Blackwell was not widely recruited out of high school, but he has improved in each of his three seasons at Wisconsin.
He was avidly pursued by UCLA and Louisville, where he would have capped off a big portal haul, but word broke Tuesday that he canceled his visit to the Cardinals, and at that point, Duke was seen as a foregone conclusion. Blackwell cites his desire to get to the NBA as a major motivation for choosing Duke. Currently, he’s seen as a second-round pick, but he might be able to Sion his way up higher.