John Blackwell (basketball)

Blackwell attended Brother Rice High School in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, where he played on the basketball team. During his junior season, Blackwell averaged 13 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists per game while shooting 49% from three-point range, the highest percent among high school player in Michigan that season.^[1]

Blackwell received nine NCAA Division I offers. He chose Wisconsin over offers from VCU, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Oakland, Cleveland State, Rhode Island, Toledo and Northern Illinois.^[2]

College recruiting information

Name	Hometown	School	Height	Weight	Commit date
John Blackwell CG	Bloomfield Hills, MI	Brother Rice High School (MI)	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	175 lb (79 kg)	Apr 15, 2022
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:    ESPN:    (77)
Overall recruit ranking:
Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, On3, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "2023 Wisconsin Commitments". Rivals. Retrieved January 23, 2024. "Men's Basketball Recruiting". Scout. Retrieved January 23, 2024. "ESPN- Wisconsin Badgers Men's Basketball Recruiting". ESPN. Retrieved January 23, 2024. "Scout.com Team Recruiting Rankings". Scout. Retrieved January 23, 2024. "2023 Team Ranking". Rivals. Retrieved January 23, 2024.

As a freshman, Blackwell came into a guard heavy roster for the Badgers. Blackwell's ability to shoot, penetrate and guard on the perimeter gave him minutes early in the season.^[3] Blackwell was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week on November 27, 2023. Blackwell played in two games during the Fort Myers Tip-Off where he averaged 10 points and 6.5 rebounds.^[4] Blackwell was awarded another Big Ten Freshman of the Week on December 11, 2023. Badgers earned a victory over Michigan State and a road loss to number one ranked Arizona. Blackwell averaged 13.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists on 50% shooting and 4–of–7 beyond the arc.^[5] Blackwell earned his third Big Ten Freshman of the Week on January 22, 2024. The Badgers split the week with a loss on the road at Penn State and a home victory over Indiana. Blackwell averaged 13 points and 3 rebounds for the week. Blackwell became the first Badger freshman to be named Big Ten Freshman of the Week three times since Ethan Happ in 2015–16.^[6] Following the completion of the regular season, Blackwell was named to the All-Freshman Team.^[7]

As a sophomore, Blackwell was inserted into the starting lineup following the transfer of Chucky Hepburn and AJ Storr. On January 3, 2025, Blackwell scored a career high 32 points in a record setting night during a 116-85 victory over the Iowa Hawkeyes.^[8] Blackwell went on to start every game for the Badgers and was the second leading scorer behind John Tonje, averaging 15.8 points per game. Blackwell was named All-Big Ten honorable mention following the conclusion of the regular season.^[9]

As a junior, Blackwell averaged 19.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game, while shooting nearly 39% from 3-point range. He was named to the Third Team All-Big Ten. Following the season he entered the transfer portal as well as the NBA draft process.^[10]

On April 21, 2026, Blackwell transferred to Duke.^[11]

^[12]