![\"Wisconsin](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1775501594_211_image.jpeg\"\/)
<\/p>\nJohn Blackwell is leaving Wisconsin after scoring 19.1 points per game for the Badgers this season.<\/p>\n
Blackwell issued an Instagram post Monday saying he won\u2019t return to Wisconsin next season and is instead going through the NBA draft process while also entering his name in the transfer portal. The transfer portal for basketball officially opens Tuesday.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis was one of the hardest decisions I\u2019ve ever had to make because my experience here has been nothing short of incredible,\u201d Blackwell said in his Instagram post. \u201cThe work I\u2019ve put in alongside the guidance and direction I\u2019ve received from Coach (Greg) Gard and his staff has helped me grow into a player I didn\u2019t know I could become.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut that growth is exactly what\u2019s driving this decision. I believe I owe it to myself and my family to chase the highest level I can reach, and this is the right time to take that step and leap of faith.\u201d<\/p>\n
The 6-foot-4 guard had 19.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game for Wisconsin as a junior while helping the Badgers go 24-11. He made 2.8 3-pointers per game and shot 38.9% from beyond the arc.<\/p>\n
He played particularly well late in the year. Blackwell scored 24 points as Wisconsin beat Purdue in its regular-season finale. He averaged 26 points in three Big Ten Tournament games, including 34 against Washington and 31 in an overtime victory over Illinois. <\/p>\n
Blackwell scored 22 points in Wisconsin\u2019s 83-82 NCAA Tournament first-round loss to High Point. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Wisconsin guard John Blackwell (25) drives the ball past High Point guard Conrad Martinez during the second half in the first round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Thursday, March 19, 2026, in Portland, Ore. Credit: AP\/Amanda Loman<\/p>\n
He earned third-team all-Big Ten honors from the league\u2019s coaches and media. Blackwell didn\u2019t make the Associated Press all-Big Ten team, which includes only a first team and second team.<\/p>\n
Blackwell had 15.8 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game as a sophomore in 2024-25.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy time in Madison has truly changed my life,\u201d Blackwell said. \u201cThrough every high and every tough loss, Badger Nation showed up with unwavering support. I\u2019m beyond grateful \u2014 and I\u2019ll carry that with me always. My prayer is that you understand my decision. Madison will always be second home to me for the rest of my life. This place and this community will always be part of who I am.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"John Blackwell is leaving Wisconsin after scoring 19.1 points per game for the Badgers this season. Blackwell issued…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":701859,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[3723],"tags":[7,319,217,6,231,772,1544,2148],"class_list":{"0":"post-701858","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-ncaa-basketball","8":"tag-basketball","9":"tag-college","10":"tag-college-basketball","11":"tag-nba","12":"tag-ncaa","13":"tag-ncaa-basketball","14":"tag-ncaab","15":"tag-wires-bot"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nba\/116359280383694888","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/701858","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=701858"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/701858\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/701859"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=701858"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=701858"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=701858"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}