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John Blackwell left out of way-too-early 2026 NBA mock draft projections

NBA Draft analysts released their early 2026 mock drafts and big boards, and the biggest outlets did not include Wisconsin Badgers guard John Blackwell.
Lorin Cox|
Mar 20, 2025; Denver, CO, USA; Wisconsin Badgers guard John Blackwell (25) dribbles the ball against Montana Grizzlies guard Brandon Whitney (12) during the first half in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at Ball Arena.
Mar 20, 2025; Denver, CO, USA; Wisconsin Badgers guard John Blackwell (25) dribbles the ball against Montana Grizzlies guard Brandon Whitney (12) during the first half in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at Ball Arena. | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

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Wisconsin Badgers

With the 2025 NBA Draft in the books, analysts are already looking ahead to what 2026 could bring with way-too-early projections for next year.

The draft community appears to be overlooking one of the Wisconsin Badgers' ascending talents.

Outlets like ESPN and The Athletic put out 2026 mock drafts and big boards, and they didn't include John Blackwell.

Blackwell explored his draft options this cycle but withdrew his name on deadline day to return for another season with the Badgers.

He is Wisconsin's highest-scoring returning player this season and has goals to jump to the pros after a strong junior season.

A different Badgers player does appear in ESPN's Top 60 players for next year's draft, with center Nolan Winter coming in at No. 53.

He led Wisconsin with 5.8 rebounds per game last year to go with 9.4 points per game.

If he takes another step forward in his third year, Winter could get some strong NBA consideration too and give the Badgers two players positioned to hear their names called on draft weekend.

Wisconsin will need Winter and Blackwell to play bigger roles this upcoming season, and scouts will be watching to see how they do.

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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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