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Wisconsin guard John Blackwell's lack of NBA interest in early mock drafts is good news for Badgers fans

Blackwell is likely to return to play for Greg Gard if projections continue to show him going undrafted.
Lorin Cox|
Mar 22, 2025; Denver, CO, USA; Wisconsin Badgers guard John Blackwell (25) dribbles the ball against the Brigham Young Cougars during the first half in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at Ball Arena.
Mar 22, 2025; Denver, CO, USA; Wisconsin Badgers guard John Blackwell (25) dribbles the ball against the Brigham Young Cougars during the first half in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at Ball Arena. | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

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Wisconsin Badgers

NBA Draft analysts are getting into the swing of mock draft season, and the early projections for both rounds don't see a spot for Wisconsin Badgers guard John Blackwell.

That's good news for Greg Gard and UW fans.

As much as Wisconsin wants to see its players have success at the professional level and increase the pedigree of the program, that doesn't need to happen right away for Blackwell, who still has college eligibility remaining.

Kevin O'Connnor from Yahoo Sports and Sam Vecenie from The Athletic both released two-round mock drafts this week, and both had Blackwell going undrafted.

That might be disappointing for the sophomore, who declared for the draft to gauge his pro prospects after averaging more than 15 points per game this season.

But Blackwell has said if he withdraws his name from the draft, he'll return to the Badgers for a third season and not enter the transfer portal.

The lack of NBA interest he's seeing in early mock drafts is the first sign that he could be back for the 2025-26 season and be a key leader in Gard's starting five.

Without him, UW would have two massive holes to fill in the backcourt without Blackwell or Tonje.

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Lorin Cox
LORIN COX

Lorin Cox is the managing editor of Wisconsin Badgers on SI. He has been covering Badgers sports since 2014, when he was an undergraduate at the University of Wisconsin. He previously wrote for the Wisconsin State Journal, NBC Sports Chicago and USA Today Sports Media Group, and he is a former analyst for Pro Football Focus.

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