Jon Scheyer and the Duke Blue Devils have secured a commitment from Wisconsin guard John Blackwell. Blackwell, a 6’4″, 203 lb. shooting guard, is one of the best shooters in the portal and looks to take the reins vacated by Isaiah Evans pending a decision, which will most likely be to the NBA. The addition instantly elevates Duke’s roster to one of the best in the country with the possibility of another addition. Duke wins a battle that included Louisville, Illinois, and UCLA for the Michigan native.
Blackwell was the second leading scorer on last year’s Wisconsin Badgers team at 19.1 points per game; he also averages 5.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists. Blackwell is a rising senior who has increased his production each season he’s been at Wisconsin, going from 8 to 15.8 to 19.1 points per game. Shooting 39% from 3 on 7 attempts per game, Blackwell instantly becomes one of Duke’s go-to scorers.
The Blue Devils still may have more work to do in their pursuit of a 4-man in the portal. They’ve been linked to both Allen Graves and Milan Momcilovic, but it is still difficult to separate what is truth and what is rumor. What we do know is that Graves is currently in the portal but also undergoing the NBA Early Entrant draft process.
