On3 Report: Illinois out of John Blackwell sweepstakes

TL;DR

Illinois Basketball is no longer pursuing John Blackwell, a top transfer from Wisconsin. Blackwell is now considering offers from UCLA, Duke, and Louisville.

Key points

Illinois Basketball is out of the John Blackwell sweepstakes
Blackwell is a high-level scorer from Wisconsin
Illinois is focusing on other players for the 2026-27 season
Blackwell is considering UCLA, Duke, and Louisville
Illinois aims for a top-5 preseason team

IllinoisWisconsin BadgersUCLADuke

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - MARCH 16: John Blackwell #25 of the Wisconsin Badgers drives to the basket against Nimari Burnett #4 of the Michigan Wolverines during the first half in the Big Ten men's basketball tournament championship at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on March 16, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) | Getty Images It’s been quite a week for Illinois Basketball. Five key contributors announcing they will return for the 2026-27 year. And it was capped off on Sunday with a report from On3 that Illinois is out of the John Blackwell sweepstakes. The high-level scorer from the Badgers is one of the gems of the transfer portal, but with Illinois committing plenty of its resources to Mirk, Andrej, the Ivisi, and Jake Davis, there may not be a ton left in the bag for Blackwell. On3 reports that Blackwell is down to UCLA, Duke and Louisville. View Link Best of luck to him. Still a little work to do to nail down the roster, but looks like BU & Co. will have a top-5 preseason team in the fall.

Q&A

Why is Illinois out of the John Blackwell sweepstakes?

Illinois has committed its resources to other players, leaving insufficient capacity to pursue John Blackwell.

Which teams are still in the running for John Blackwell?

John Blackwell is now considering UCLA, Duke, and Louisville as potential options.

What impact will Illinois' roster decisions have for the 2026-27 season?

With five key contributors returning, Illinois is expected to have a top-5 preseason team for the upcoming season.

On3 Report: Illinois out of John Blackwell sweepstakes

TL;DR

Key points

Q&A

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