How the NBA Draft process set John Blackwell up for another run with Wisconsin basketball
John Blackwell went all-in on the NBA Draft process. Now he's back at Wisconsin with unfinished business and a clear vision for what's next.
Sometimes you’ve got to step away to see how far you’ve come. That was the case for Wisconsin men's basketball guard John Blackwell, who went through the NBA Draft process this offseason, got real feedback from scouts, and made the call to return for his junior year in Madison.
But he didn't just test the NBAa Draft waters. Blackwell went all in.
“Yeah, when I entered, I was all in,” Blackwell explained. “Whatever I heard from the scouts, from GMs — it’s all in. Because if you’re not all in for something, then you’re not trying to expect results. I was all in trying to get better and compete with whoever was in the workouts."
And those results? They gave Blackwell what he was after: confirmation that he belonged but clarity that he still had more to prove in college before turning pro.
"It was a great experience — one of the best experiences of my life," Blackwell shared. "I just want to continue to grow and learn from it. I feel like I did. I definitely got better. That was the goal."
This is the kind of offseason that can change the trajectory of a college basketball player’s career. And Blackwell, who started all 37 games for the Wisconsin Badgers last season and averaged 15.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game, now returns with a new level of urgency and belief — not only in himself but in what this program can accomplish.
He’s not just back to run it back. He’s back to finish what he started.
Chasing more at Wisconsin
Blackwell could’ve stayed in the draft and hoped to hear his name called. He could’ve returned to college and transferred out. There were plenty of offers and plenty of noise. But Blackwell shut it all down.
"It was either NBA or come back to Wisconsin," Blackwell said. “There was nothing off about me. I was in contact with my coaches and it was either coming back or go."
This is what loyalty looks like in the portal era. It’s rare. It’s also exactly why Blackwell's return means so much to the Wisconsin men’s basketball program.
“They recruited me from the jump,” Blackwell said. “They showed me love from the jump. They’ve been everything and loyal during my time being here.”
So why come back?
“I feel like there are things I haven’t accomplished in college yet,” Blackwell said. “I want to boost my stock — I want to be a first-rounder next year. And I want to keep getting better. But ultimately, I want to win. I fell short of my goal, but I want to be in Wisconsin history forever.”
This is a player who arrived in Madison as a 3-star prospect with only mid-major offers outside of Wisconsin and wasted no time proving he was going to be a difference maker. In just two years, Blackwell's gone from key rotational piece to face of the program. He earned Big Ten All-Freshman honors in year one, then followed it up with an Honorable Mention all conference nod as a sophomore. What comes next could change everything.
In a time when the transfer portal is always an option for players, Blackwell decided that grass grows where you water it. He’s stayed loyal to Wisconsin.
Part of that loyalty? It’s rooted in trust—and in head basketball coach Greg Gard.
“He keeps it real all the time," Blackwell said. "He tells you what you've got to get good at, and then you go work at it. He constantly pushes you to be better on and off the court. The support staff around him helps you every day. But he focuses on your game and tries to improve.
"Obviously, you can add a few things to your game, but we’re trying to fine-tune the things that I do really well and make those sharp. He does a good job of that and putting players in the right spot."
And for Blackwell, that belief in Gard goes well beyond basketball.
“He can be a quiet guy sometimes, but he’s a good person,” Blackwell explained. “He makes sure that everybody’s good. He cracks some jokes here and there. But he’s a good guy. He’s a great, great coach. You can tell he loves you to death. And he’s a guy who has a lot of knowledge — he’s been around basketball for a long time — and he has a lot of knowledge you can use both on and off the court.”
And if he takes another step forward, don’t be surprised if we’re talking about Blackwell among the program greats by the time his story is done.
"I just want to be remembered as one of the greats that came through Wisconsin," Blackwell shared. "A great teammate, a great person on and off the court. Like, when fans or supporters talk about the basketball players, I want them to say, “Any interaction we had with John was a great interaction.” So that’s how I want to be remembered. I obviously want to be an All-American. I want to be a player who accomplished a lot and gets my name put up in the rafters. I’m praying for that."
What John Blackwell learned and what’s next
Blackwell’s NBA draft experience wasn’t just about evaluating his stock in the eyes of scouts. It was a free basketball education from the top talent evaluators.
What stood out most to Blackwell? The nuance. The pace. The margin for error. Blackwell came away with a clearer sense of what separates guys who stick in the NBA for a long time from those who don’t.
"I think just the spacing and the flow of the game," Blackwell said. "It’s a fast-paced game, but you gotta be able to play at your own pace. The game comes with a lot of space, and you've gotta be able to create for yourself and be consistent with what you do. That’s how you can make it. That’s how you can make money. Especially if you’re not a star player. Be consistent in what you do. That’s how we get paid."
But Blackwell knows what needs to happen next if he wants to parlay a strong junior season into hearing his name called on draft night in 2026.