Wisconsin basketball transfer John Blackwell commits to Duke Blue Devils

Wisconsin basketball transfer John Blackwell commits to Duke Blue Devils

Ex-Wisconsin star John Blackwell is headed to one of college basketball's bluebloods.

Blackwell has committed to Duke for his senior season, he announced April 21 on social media.

The 6-foot-4 guard entered the transfer portal while exploring his NBA draft opportunities after playing his first three seasons at Wisconsin. He described the decision to leave UW at the time as "one of the hardest decisions I've ever had to make because my experience here has been nothing short of incredible."

Blackwell averaged a career-high 19.1 points per game in 2025-26 as part of an impressive guard tandem with Nick Boyd. He also had five games with 30-plus points, including back-to-back Big Ten tournament games.

Blackwell was one of four UW players to depart via the transfer portal. UW also lost starting forward Aleksas Bieliauskas and reserve forwards Jack Robison and Riccardo Greppi. Bieliauskas committed to South Carolina, and Robison committed to North Dakota State.

Mar 19, 2026; Portland, OR, USA; Wisconsin Badgers guard John Blackwell (25) controls the ball against High Point Panthers forward Terry Anderson (5) during the first half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin basketball transfer John Blackwell commits to Duke