Duke Receives Major Update in Pursuit of John Blackwell

After a very quiet first week and a half of the NCAA Transfer Portal cycle for head coach Jon Scheyer and the rest of the Duke basketball program, the last few days have completely flipped the switch.

Over the weekend, freshman guard Cayden Boozer announced he would be returning to Durham for a sophomore campaign, marking the first big-time return candidate for Duke this offseason. Then, the program received what was likely the biggest news it has had all offseason, as sophomore center Patrick Ngongba announced on Monday that he would be back at Duke in 2026-27.

Mar 27, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Cayden Boozer (2) dribbles the ball past St. John's Red Storm guard Ian Jackson (11) 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: Amber Searls-Imagn Images | Amber Searls-Imagn Images

Scheyer and Co. still have a lot to figure out about who will be returning or departing, with guys like Isaiah Evans, Dame Sarr, and Caleb Foster yet to announce their future plans. However, the Blue Devils are now favored to land one of the most coveted guards in the entire transfer portal.

Mar 19, 2026; Portland, OR, USA; Wisconsin Badgers guard John Blackwell (25) reacts 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

Duke Receives Crystal Ball Prediction To Land Wisconsin Transfer Guard John Blackwell

On Monday, Duke received a crystal ball prediction to land Wisconsin star transfer guard John Blackwell, the No. 3 overall player in the portal, according to 247Sports. The Duke program has heard some fantastic news over the last few days, but the addition of Blackwell will put the Blue Devils in the conversation to be the No. 1 team in the country heading into the 2026-27 campaign.

Blackwell just wrapped up his junior season with the Badgers, establishing himself as one of the top scorers in college basketball. The 6'4" guard averaged 19.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.1 steals a night on 43.0% shooting from the field and 38.9% from three on 7.3 attempts. The Michigan native tallied 15 games of over 25 points scored and five of 30 or more this past season.

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

What This Means for Duke

After Blackwell entered the portal, it was reported that he was considering Duke, Illinois, Alabama, Arizona, UCLA, and St. John's. It was also reported that Blackwell would take two visits before committing on May 4, a week before the NBA Combine. Blackwell visited Duke on Monday.

As one of the most prolific scorers in the country, Blackwell will provide Duke with a consistent perimeter scoring presence that wasn't totally there last season. Isaiah Evans was one of the top outside shooters in the ACC, but hadn't established himself as the consistent major scorer that Blackwell is.

Mar 29, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Caleb Foster (1) dribbles the ball as UConn Huskies guard Malachi Smith (0) defends 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

This also raises questions about the Duke backcourt next season. The general expectation seems to be that Foster will be back at Duke next year, meaning the Blue Devils would potentially have four guards in the rotation with Foster, Boozer, Blackwell, and incoming 5-star freshman Deron Rippey Jr.

Now, those questions remain unanswered, as Duke still hasn't received pledges from Blackwell or Foster, but this is still a major development for the program heading into the 2026-27 campaign.

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