By ADAM ZAGORIA
John Blackwell was the No. 3 overall transfer in the portal per 247Sports.com when he chose to leave Wisconsin for Duke last month.
But the high-scoring 6-foot-3 guard also opted to enter the NBA Draft and is now in Chicago at the NBA Draft Combine.
He updated his latest decision-making process in an interview with Andy Katz.
“It’s up in the air right now, I’m just trusting God through the process,” said Blackwell, who averaged 19.1 points and 5.1 rebounds per game last season for the Badgers.
“I would love to play for a prestigious college like Duke, but chasing my dreams right now and just weighing what’s best for me. Coach [Jon] Scheyer has been helpful through the process, and the whole coaching staff at Duke has been helpful through the process.”
He added:”In my opinion, it’s a win-win situation with both because I get to play at the best college in the country or get to live out my dream to play in the NBA.
Duke lost freshman forward Cam Boozer and sophomore wing Isaiah Evans to this year’s draft cycle, while Darren Harris (Indiana) and Nik Khamenia (UConn) hit the portal, but is once again loaded for another deep NCAA Tournament run in 2027.
Cayden Boozer, Caleb Foster and Patrick Ngongba are all returning, while Duke added Blackwell, Loyola (MD) transfer guard Jacob Theodosiou and Belmont transfer forward Drew Scharnowski.
Duke also brings in the No.1-ranked recruiting class featuring five-star prospects Cameron Williams, Deron Rippey Jr, and Bryson Howard and four-star Maxime Meyer.
“That’s the reason I picked Duke, because of the roster, because of who’s coming back,” Blackwell said. “I think we have a special chance to go get a national championship, and that’s what you play for. That’s what you come back to college for, to go compete for a national championship.”
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