Duke Possibly in Unfavorable Yet Familiar Situation With John Blackwell

The offseason up to this point for head coach Jon Scheyer and the rest of the Duke basketball program has been an overwhelming success.

Duke has brought back four of its top six scorers in Patrick Ngongba, Caleb Foster, Cayden Boozer, and Dame Sarr. Redshirt freshman Sebastian Wilkins is also back with the program. Scheyer and Co. are also bringing in the No. 2 overall 2026 recruiting class.

Mar 29, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Dame Sarr (7) shoots a free throw against the UConn Huskies in the first half during an Elite Eight game of the East Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images | Amber Searls-Imagn Images

On top of retaining key players and signing elite freshman talent, Duke tapped into the transfer portal more than it has in the past four years under Scheyer, landing former Belmont forward Drew Scharnowski and former Wisconsin star transfer guard John Blackwell.

Blackwell is the headline of Duke's incoming recruiting class, coming off a season where the 6'4" guard established himself as one of the best scorers in college basketball. As a junior with the Badgers, Blackwell averaged 19.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.1 steals on 43.0% shooting from the field and 38.9% shooting from three on 7.3 attempts.

Mar 19, 2026; Portland, OR, USA; Wisconsin Badgers guard Braeden Carrington (0) and guard John Blackwell (25) react during the second half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament against the High Point Panthers at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

It's clear that Blackwell will be Duke's go-to guy offensively next season, but a recent development may put that into question.

Mar 19, 2026; Portland, OR, USA; Wisconsin Badgers guard John Blackwell (25) passes against the High Point Panthers 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

John Blackwell Appears on NBA Draft Early Entry List

Interestingly, despite committing to Duke, Blackwell's name appeared on the 2026 NBA Draft early entry list, indicating he has at least put his name in the draft.

Now, this could mean nothing, as Isaiah Evans did the same thing last year, shortly before returning to Duke. However, if Blackwell is seriously considering the NBA Draft, it could obviously be a major blow to the Duke program.

The National Basketball Association (NBA) announced today that 71 players have filed as early entry candidates for NBA Draft 2026, which will be held Tuesday, June 23 (First Round) and Wednesday June 24 (Second Round) at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. pic.twitter.com/GfV338yqsz
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) April 27, 2026

Odds are, this either means nothing or Blackwell could declare while maintaining his collegiate eligibility to get feedback from NBA scouts for the future. Upon entering the portal, Blackwell said that one of the biggest factors in his ultimate decision would be going to a program that can develop him for the NBA.

ESPN currently ranks Blackwell as the No. 82 overall draft prospect.

Mar 27, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer reacts in the first half during a Sweet Sixteen 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

This Is a Familiar Situation for Duke

Duke fans don't have to look back too far to find a situation just like this, as Cedric Coward bailed on the Blue Devils for the NBA just a year ago.

Coward was regarded as one of the top guards in the portal, coming off a season where he averaged 17.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.7 blocks per game on 55.7% shooting from the field and 40.0% shooting from three in six games (injury) at Washington State. After committing to Duke, Coward ultimately remained in the 2025 NBA Draft, where he was selected 11th overall by the Memphis Grizzlies.

Mar 30, 2026; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Jordan Goodwin (23) and Memphis Grizzlies forward Cedric Coward (23) battle for a loose ball during the fourth quarter at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Granted, even after committing to Duke, Coward made it clear that his priority remained on the NBA Draft. Additionally, Coward was already viewed as a potential first-round pick, whereas Blackwell is not.

This is likely nothing for Duke fans to monitor, but Blackwell has at least entered his name into the NBA Draft.

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