Wisconsin Basketball: John Blackwell Is a Strong Candidate for B1G Freshman of the Year

Wisconsin basketball got a good one. John Blackwell should be on everyone’s radar for Big 10 Freshman of the Year.

Yeah, you read that right. The 6-foot-4 guard came into the season under the radar behind big time recruits Nolan Winter and Gus Yalden, but over the first six games he has looked like anything but a freshman.

Outside of a nine minute, zero point game against Tennessee — Blackwell has lit up the stat sheet and earned more minutes. Most notable is an 18 point game against Robert Morris, and back to back 10 point performances against Virginia and SMU.

Blackwell gave Wisconsin basketball life early on off the bench against SMU, and finished the game with the starters. He even hit free throws to help ice the game.

Building Confidence for Wisconsin Basketball

You can see Head Coach Greg Gard has gained confidence in the kid from Michigan, and so have his teammates. So much confidence that he’s earned an average of 21 minutes per game over the past four.

The Wisconsin basketball shooting guard is even starting to receive some national media attention.

Wisconsin freshman John Blackwell has scored in double figures in four of his first five games. Shooting 60% from 3-point range. An under-the-radar freshman.

— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) November 21, 2023

Yes, it’s early and it’s a small sample size for Blackwell, but heads are turning. Blackwell is a plus defensive guard, a strong shooter from deep, and has a knack for finishing at the rim.

He fits well in Gard’s slow-it-down scheme, but isn’t afraid to run either. This showed during his fast break and perfect lob for a Nolan Winter dunk in the first half against SMU.

The up top OOP to @NolanWinter5 💪 🔥 @BadgerMBB pic.twitter.com/jxkgxw8STC

— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) November 23, 2023

What Stands in John Blackwell’s Way?

The intangibles are all there for Blackwell and Wisconsin basketball to thrive in 2023. Big 10 Freshman of the Year is definitely in play if he can continue to score and make an impact in his 15-22 minutes per game.

However, Maryland’s DeShawn Harris-Smith or Indiana’s Mackenzie Mgbako are also strong candidates due to the minutes and scoring opportunities they have.

No matter what happens in the conference this season, Blackwell has set himself up for a strong year off the bench for Wisconsin Basketball. The future is bright.

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