Wisconsin basketball star John Blackwell linked up with program great Michael Finley on Tuesday in El Segundo, California.

Blackwell, who has until June 15 to decide whether or not he will withdraw from the 2025 NBA draft and return to to the Badgers, competed in his pro day for Life Sports Agency at the Los Angeles Lakers‘ practice facility on Tuesday. Donning a Wisconsin pullover and shorts, he snapped a photo with one of the greatest players in UW’s basketball history.

“Pleasure seeing one of the greats!” Blackwell wrote on X alongside a Badger emoji and a #OnWisconsin.

The Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, native was not invited to the 2025 NBA draft combine, another indication of a potential return to the Kohl Center. While his NBA ceiling may be higher than John Tonje’s — Blackwell’s running mate throughout the 2024-25 season — his current status as a professional prospect in this draft cycle remains in question.

While Blackwell’s photo with Finley doesn’t tell the entire story, his current NBA draft projection, not receiving an invite to the 2025 G League Elite Camp and Badger enthusiasm make his return seem all the more likely.

Fresh off a stellar sophomore campaign, Blackwell is poised to take the reins as the No. 1 option for the Badgers during the 2025-26 season. He averaged 15.8 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists off 45.1% shooting from the floor in 31.2 minutes per appearance as Wisconsin’s undisputed No. 2 option last season. That production trailed only Tonje, who is progressing through the draft cycle as a clear-cut prospect.

If Blackwell returns, he, transfer guard Nick Boyd, transfer wing Andrew Rohde, transfer forward Austin Rapp and junior forward Nolan Winter project to be one of the more formidable starting units in the Big Ten next season. His continued development will also likely earn him an All-Big Ten selection, an honor which he missed out on as a sophomore.

If Blackwell was looking for any inspiration, Finley is the right man to talk to. The two-time NBA All-Star and 2007 NBA champion averaged 18.7 points per game in Madison, was voted first-team All-Big Ten twice in four years, led the conference in three-point field goals made as a sophomore and held the Badgers’ all-time scoring record until 2007.

While he may not accumulate the level of resume that Finley produced, Blackwell is poised to secure a few more accolades as a junior. His return decision will be one to monitor until mid-June.

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