Why Duke Fans Should Love Blackwell Testing NBA Waters

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Mar 19, 2026; Portland, OR, USA; Wisconsin Badgers guard John Blackwell (25) dribbles against the High Point Panthers during the first half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images | Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

Hugh Straine

Tue, May 12, 2026 at 5:00 PM UTC ·

4 min read

The Duke Blue Devils will enter the 2026-27 college hoops season boasting one of the deepest rosters in the sport, paving the way for the program to return to the national title game for the first time since 2015.

Duke is bringing back four of its top six scorers while inking the No. 1 overall 2026 recruiting class and a slew of high-profile transfers. The obvious headliner of Duke's portal class is former Wisconsin guard John Blackwell, who will be the squad's go-to guy on the offensive side of the ball.

Mar 19, 2026; Portland, OR, USA; Wisconsin Badgers guard John Blackwell (25) reacts during the second half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament against the High Point Panthers at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

Blackwell was one of the best scorers in college basketball last season, averaging over 19 points per game on 43.0% shooting from the floor and 38.9% shooting from three. However, he hasn't declared his 100% commitment to the Blue Devils.

Mar 19, 2026; Portland, OR, USA; Wisconsin Badgers guard John Blackwell (25) passes the ball up the court against the High Point Panthers during the first half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images | Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

John Blackwell Attending NBA Combine

John Blackwell was one of 73 players invited to the NBA Combine, which the 6'4" guard is now actively participating in. This reminds the Blue Devil faithful of a similar situation from a year ago.

Last year at this time, Duke inked a commitment from Cedric Coward , one of the top guards in the portal. However, Coward said his focus remained on the 2025 NBA Draft, and when it was all said and done, Coward remained in the draft where he was selected in the lottery by the Memphis Grizzlies .

Now, this situation with Blackwell is completely different. The rising senior has hardly been seen on NBA Draft boards, let alone having first-round potential. With the expected paycheck Blackwell will earn in college basketball next season, it wouldn't make any financial sense for him to remain in the draft, given his current projection.

However, Duke fans should still like the fact that Blackwell is testing the waters.

Blackwell Testing NBA Waters Can Only Bring Positives

When Blackwell first hit the portal, he said his priorities for choosing a program were having the freedom to have the ball in his hands and develop for the NBA. He probably couldn't have chosen a better program than Duke for those reasons.

While testing the NBA waters, Blackwell will receive constructive feedback that he can bring back to the college game for his future. The likelihood that he remains in the draft is extremely low, so Duke fans should feel good that he is hearing feedback he can use to improve as he closes out his collegiate career at Duke.

Mar 19, 2026; Portland, OR, USA; Wisconsin Badgers guard John Blackwell (25) drives against High Point Panthers guard Conrad Martinez (9) during the second half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

As a career 44% shooter from the field and 37% shooter from the perimeter, Blackwell has the chance to put together an All-American-caliber season given his projected role with the Blue Devils.

This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/duke as Why Duke Fans Should Love Blackwell Testing NBA Waters .