MADISON, Wis. - Wisconsin point guard John Blackwell is using his breakout sophomore season to test the NBA Draft waters while maintaining his college eligibility and possibly returning to the Badgers for the 2025-26 season.
Blackwell made his announcement on his X account Thursday afternoon.
"My goal has always been to play in the NBA, and going through the process will take me one step closer to my dream," Blackwell said in his statement. "I'd like to give glory to God, as without Him I wouldn't be in this position. I am extremely thankful for my family for their unwavering support and guidance during this process. I also want to thank my teammates, coaches, and the support staff for challenging me every day to become a better person and player. Finally, i'd like to thank our fans for their incredible energy and enthusiasm. They help make the Kohl Center such a special place to play."
Unlike sophomore A.J. Storr, who decided to transfer to Kansas after pulling his name out of the NBA Draft following last season, Blackwell finished his statement pledging he would return to the program should he remove his name from the draft process.
"If I decide to wait another season before playing at the next level, I plan to come back to play for Coach Gard in Madison," Blackwell said. "Once a Badger, always a Badger!"
The NBA Draft is scheduled for June 25 and 26. The deadline to withdraw from the draft process is June 15.
An under-the-radar recruit who committed to Wisconsin's 2023 recruiting class, Blackwell has been an instant impact player for the Badgers. A boost of energy off the bench as a true freshman, Blackwell was lauded by the staff for his basketball IQ and decision-making. He earned a place on the Freshman All-Big Ten team after averaging 8.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, and shooting 44.6 percent in 34 games.
After point guard Chucky Hepburn unexpected transfer-portal departure to Louisville, the staff chose to give the position to Blackwell - who rarely handled the ball in 2023-24 - instead of an experienced option like senior Kamari McGee or incoming junior transfer Camren Hunter. Blackwell made the move look like a stroke of genius. He started all 37 games and finished second on the team in points (15.8 ppg). Playing 12.7 minutes more per game, Blackwell had a better shooting percentage (45.1 percent) than his freshman season while averaging 2.2 assists to 2.1 turnovers. He was an honorable mention All-Big Ten pick.
"John and I have talked many times about his dream to play in the NBA and our staff and I fully support his decision to declare for the NBA Draft while maintaining his eligibility at Wisconsin," head coach Greg Gard said in a statement. "John has been a tremendous player for our program the last two seasons and has the drive to be the best player on the floor, whenever he is playing. This is a win-win opportunity for John to receive feedback from NBA personnel while retaining the ability to play for our program next fall."
If Blackwell keeps his name in the draft process, the Badgers won't have a true point guard on their roster next season with Hunter and freshman Daniel Freitag having entered their names in the transfer portal. However, Wisconsin appears to be in a good position to add seniors Nick Boyd (San Diego State) and Andrew Rohde (Virginia) via the portal.
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