How This Transfer Commitment Helps Duke With John Blackwell

Duke basketball head coach Jon Scheyer and his staff are trying to navigate through the chaos of the NCAA Transfer Portal while simultaneously trying to gauge which of its core pieces from the 2025-26 squad will return or depart from the program.

Over the weekend, the Blue Devils lost out on Kansas transfer center Flory Bidunga, the No. 1 overall player in the transfer portal, according to 247Sports. Bidunga was slated to visit Duke on Sunday, but the visit was canceled, followed by Bidunga's commitment to Louisville shortly after.

Mar 20, 2026; San Diego, CA, USA; Kansas Jayhawks forward Flory Bidunga (40) shoots against California Baptist Lancers forward Jonathan Griman (8) in the first half during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Viejas Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Duke is still waiting to hear decisions from Patrick Ngongba, Isaiah Evans, Dame Sarr, Cayden Boozer, and Caleb Foster regarding a return to Durham, declaring for the 2026 NBA Draft, or hitting the transfer portal.

Scheyer and Co. are still heavily invested in a few transfers, and this certain portal commitment could have helped the Blue Devils land one of their top targets.

Mar 12, 2026; New York, NY, USA; Providence Friars guard Stefan Vaaks (7) controls the ball against St. John's Red Storm guard Dylan Darling (0) during the second half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Stefan Vaaks Commitment to Illinois Could Help Duke With John Blackwell

Former Providence guard Stefan Vaaks, the No. 13 overall player in the portal per 247Sports, committed to Illinois over the weekend. The 6'7" guard averaged 15.8 points and 3.2 assists on 40.3% shooting from the field and 35.0% shooting from three on 8.4 attempts as a freshman with the Friars.

Now, why this helps the Blue Devils is that Wisconsin transfer guard John Blackwell, one of Duke's top targets, was also considering Illinois. It was recently reported that, along with Duke and Illinois, the 6'4" guard was considering Alabama, Arizona, Louisville, and UCLA.

Mar 29, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer looks on from the bench against the UConn Huskies during an Elite Eight game of the East Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Vaaks and Blackwell are fairly similar players, two score-first guards who thrive with the ball in their hands. This past season, Vaaks averaged 12.3 field goal attempts per game, and Blackwell averaged 13.6. It's likely Blackwell wants to head to a place where he has the green light whenever he wants. That can be difficult to do with two high-volume scorers in the same backcourt.

Mar 19, 2026; Portland, OR, USA; Wisconsin Badgers guard John Blackwell (25) shoots against High Point Panthers center Youssouf Singare (24) 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

Blackwell's Commitment Timeline

After the six schools the junior was still considering were announced, it was also reported that Blackwell would take two visits before committing on May 4, a week before the NBA Combine.

The Blue Devils have yet to schedule a visit with Blackwell, but as one of the top scorers in college basketball, Scheyer and Co. seem to be invested.

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

In 2025-26 with the Badgers, Blackwell averaged 19.1 points per game on 43.0% shooting from the field and 38.9% shooting from the perimeter on 7.3 attempts.