Duke reload continues, Blue Devils land Big Ten transfer portal star

The reload for the 2026-27 college basketball season continues for the Duke Blue Devils. On the heels of finding out that guard Cayden Boozer and big man Patrick Ngongba are returning, the Blue Devils and head coach John Scheyer have landed one of the biggest portal wins of the offseason.

Jon Scheyer and his squad have landed John Blackwell, the former Wisconsin Badger, via the transfer portal, to help retool their backcourt and give them an instant infusion of talent and experience. Blackwell figures to be a key feature for the Blue Devils' backcourt alongside Cayden Boozer.

He comes to Durham after three years with the Wisconsin Badgers in the Big Ten, where he got better each season, taking his scoring average up from 8.0 points to 15.8 points to 19.8 points per game this season.

Blackwell had a career year in Madison for the Badgers, averaging 19.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game. He appeared and started in all 34 of Wisconsin's games this season, which saw the Badgers have an untimely exit from the 2026 NCAA Tournament, when High Point upset them in the first round.

John Blackwell, a native of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, can score inside and out. This year, he shot 43% from the field overall, a strong 38.9% from three-point range, and 85.9% from the free-throw line.

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This article originally appeared on College Sports Wire: Duke reloads, land Wisconsin guard John Blackwell from transfer portal