NBA Draft

Could Wisconsin's John Blackwell Be An Early Sleeper for the 2026 NBA Draft?

The Badgers' offense should be spearheaded by their star shooting guard. After testing the draft process in 2025, could Blackwell prove himself enough to be a selection in 2026?
Jed Katz|
Wisconsin guard John Blackwell (25) passes the ball during the second half of their game against Campbell Monday, November 3, 2025 at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wisconsin.
Wisconsin guard John Blackwell (25) passes the ball during the second half of their game against Campbell Monday, November 3, 2025 at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wisconsin. | Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Wisconsin Badgers

Admittedly, past NBA draft picks from Wisconsin haven't panned out well in the NBA over the last decade or so. There have been plenty of stars at the university, but in the pros, the Badgers haven't had a true star in the NBA since Devin Harris took off with the New Jersey Nets in the late 2000s.

With John Tonje being the most recent Badger to leave for the NBA draft in 2025, that leaves Wisconsin with some new faces on a team looking to remain near the top of the Big Ten. One returner, and the star of the team, is John Blackwell.

Blackwell briefly put his name in the 2025 NBA Draft pool before deciding to return to Madison for his junior season. In the season opener against Campbell, he proved why that was a smart decision. The 6-foot-4 wing put up 31 points, four rebounds, three assists and a steal in a blowout 96-64 victory.

Blackwell and his backcourt partner, Nick Boyd, combined for 52 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and three steals in the home win. While Boyd got it going in the second half, Blackwell was consistent all game, and was able to score from all areas of the floor.

The junior guard shot 10-for-19 from the field and 6-for-11 from three. He picked his spots perfectly and managed to get the free-throw line on multiple occassions.

What was most impressive was that Blackwell didn't need many dribbles to score. His performance against Campbell looked Klay Thompson-esque with how he played well off the catch and knocked down contested threes. It helps that it was against a noticeably inferior opponent, but nonetheless, he took advantage.

Blackwell's style of play could lead him to be one of the best players in the Big Ten, but it could also result in more buzz around June. He certainly has the potential to take the leap, averaging 15.8 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists last season behind Tonje.

Blackwell's height may limit him on the defensive end as a shooting guard/small forward, but he has the athleticism and IQ to still make an impact, and his offensive game outweighs that. For his career at Wisconsin, the Minnesota native is recording 45-37-82 shooting splits, which is impressive on the scale of college basketball.

Keep an eye on Blackwell as the Badgers make a run for the Big Ten title and the NCAA Tournament. Last season, the offense was historic, and it has the chance to remain that way with their junior guard on the floor.

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Jed Katz
JED KATZ

Jed is a student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison majoring in journalism. He also contributes at several other basketball outlets, including has his own basketball blog and podcast — The Sixth Man Report.

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