John Blackwell's NBA combine anthro measurements reveal major issue

Former Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball star John Blackwell is going through with the NBA Draft process even though he transferred to Duke. Now, more than ever, it's clear Blackwell will be spending his senior season with the Blue Devils. In an odd turn of events, Blackwell's anthro measurements revealed he stands 6-foot-3 and 1/4 barefoot but has a wingspan of 6-foot-2 and 1/4.

Somehow, his wingspan is one inch less than his height without shoes on. Elsewhere, Blackwell weighed 199. 6 pounds and had a standing reach of 8-foot-2.

While this isn't completely unheard of, it certainly doesn't bode well for his chances of being a lottery pick. 2026 AWS NBA Draft Combine anthro measurements for Wisconsin’s John Blackwell (Duke commit): 6’3 ¼" barefoot, 199. 6 pounds with a 6’2 ¼" wingspan and 8’2" standing reach pic.

twitter. com/hbrhauJsgY — Jon Chepkevich (@JonChep) May 12, 2026 Through the years, there have been greats such as JJ Reddick who sported a negative wingspan, and even more recently players such as Wisconsin native Tyler Herro. That said, it's still extremely noticeable and is the biggest talking point coming out of Blackwell's combine, which is the last thing he wanted to have discussed after such a successful stretch in Madison.