Wisconsin basketball star guard John Blackwell is withdrawing from the 2025 NBA draft and returning to college, Jon Rothstein reported on Wednesday.
The significant news falls on the deadline day for early-entry NCAA players to withdraw from the draft, just 28 days before the event itself.
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Blackwell will return to the Badgers after a moderately quiet pre-draft process. The rising junior guard was not invited to the NBA combine or the G League Elite Camp, signaling a projection several steps below the draft’s two rounds. The draft process, specifically private workouts and pro days, likely gave Blackwell specific areas for improvement entering the upcoming college season, to then bolster his draft status for 2026.
The 6-foot-4 guard averaged 31.2 minutes, 15.8 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game, while shooting 45% from the field and 32% from 3-point range, as a sophomore last season, earning an All-Big Ten honorable mention selection. He was the team’s clear No. 2 option behind All-American wing John Tonje.
With Tonje gone to the NBA, Blackwell is in line to claim that lead role this season.
The Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, native headlines a projected Wisconsin starting lineup that also includes transfers Nick Boyd, Austin Rapp and Andrew Rohde, as well as rising junior forward Nolan Winter. If the notable transfer additions click, that starting group has the potential to be among the best in the Big Ten.
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While signs pointed toward Blackwell’s return for the last several weeks, the official news is a major boost to Wisconsin basketball’s chances next season.
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This article originally appeared on Badgers Wire: Wisconsin basketball guard John Blackwell withdraws from NBA draft