Wisconsin is losing star guard John Blackwell to the 2026 NBA Draft or the transfer portal.
Blackwell announced Monday he will enter the portal while also going through the NBA draft process. He did the latter a year ago before withdrawing his name and returning to Madison. This time, if he decides to return to college, he will do so in a different uniform than the one he wore his first three years.
Thank you Wisconsin! #Badger4L pic.twitter.com/9p9obpbmxa
— John Blackwell (@_Johnblackwell1) April 6, 2026
NBA evaluators have Blackwell among the top 100 players available for the draft, but teams make just 60 selections, so it is unlikely he stays in the draft. That would leave him as one of, if not the top guard available in the transfer portal and in line to make millions of dollars in his final college season.
Blackwell had a career year for Wisconsin, averaging 19.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game, while shooting 38.9% from 3-point range. He scored 30 or more points five times, including twice in the Big Ten Tournament. The Michigan native finishes his career with the Badgers ranked 12th all-time in scoring, 11th in 3-pointers made and among the best free-throw shooters in school history.
With Blackwell’s decision to depart, the Badgers now must replace him along with leading scorer Nick Boyd and rotation players Andrew Rohde and Braeden Carrington. Wisconsin is also attempting to hold onto big man Nolan Winter, who averaged 13.1 points and 8.5 rebounds per game as a junior.
The Badgers did add a seasoned veteran in Australian professional Owen Foxwell, who is expected to replace Boyd as the team’s point guard.
In addition to Blackwell, reserves Jack Robison and Ricardo Greppi also plan to enter the transfer portal when it opens Tuesday.
