John Blackwell Commits to Duke In CBB Transfer Portal After 3 Seasons at Wisconsin

One of the top players in the transfer portal is heading to Duke.

Guard John Blackwell is leaving Wisconsin after three seasons and heading to the Blue Devils, according to ESPN's Jeff Borzello, addressing a major need for the team:

Blackwell was excellent for the Badgers in the 2025-26 season, finishing second on the team in scoring (19.1 PPG), third in assists (2.3 APG) and second in rebounding (5.1 RPG) while shooting 43.0 percent from the field and 38.9 percent from three.

While Duke has loaded up with top prospects for next season, as usual—highlighted by a trio of 5-star recruits, power forward Cameron Williams, point guard Deron Rippey Jr. and small forward Bryson Howard—success in March is often contingent on having excellent, veteran guard play.

And while the Blue Devils had some of the top young talent in the country in recent seasons, they didn't have the sort of top-end veteran presence in the backcourt that other contenders boasted.

"Come here, have freedom," Blackwell told Borzello when asked how Duke pitched him on joining the program. "You can come here and be a draft pick, and that's always my dream. Come here and help us win a national championship. I love the campus, I love the people surrounding Duke. That's why I made my choice to be a Blue Devil."

Duke also added power forward Drew Scharnowski in the portal, loading up again under head coach Jon Scheyer.