Duke secures elite scorer John Blackwell. The former Wisconsin star brings proven talent and offensive firepower to the Blue Devils' quest for a championship.
Tuesday was a big day for rivals Duke and North Carolina as the transfer portal came to a close.
UNC landed Terrence Brown, who averaged 19.9 points per game last season with the Utah Utes. He'll give new head coach Michael Malone a scoring threat for the 2026-27 season.
The Blue Devils scored a huge commitment of their own.
Per ESPN, Duke will add former Wisconsin star John Blackwell before next season. He's considered the top guard in the transfer portal after averaging 19.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists last year with the Badgers.
"It just felt right," Blackwell told Jeff Borzello of ESPN. "It felt like the right situation for me. I just connected with Coach [Jon Scheyer] on a different level.
"We built a connection in these past weeks of just talking to him and him selling why Duke is the right spot for me. Me taking this visit was just confirmation on why I should be at Duke."
Fans on social media reacted to the news Blackwell would play for Duke next season.
"In my opinion I loved him but he made in my opinion a dirty move I understand he wanted money but to leave a team like the badgers is just sad and hurts man I live here and I loved him as a player but better look man," wrote a fan.
"Another mid-tier guard chasing a paycheck at Duke just to sit on the bench and kill his draft stock lol," posted another. "He was the big fish in a small pond at Wisconsin but he is going to realize real quick that the ACC is a different beast entirely.
"Duke fans act like they just got prime Kyrie when they really just signed a guy who is going to be playing in Europe in two years. Hope the NIL money was worth it."
"It’s a massive jump in pace from Wisconsin to Duke," suggested a poster. "Blackwell is a stud, but can he actually maintain those numbers when he’s not the primary option on every play? We’ll see if this is a perfect fit or just hype."
"Duke isn't just getting a good player; they're getting the missing piece to their title puzzle," wrote another. "Watch out, college basketball – John Blackwell is about to show that the Big Ten wasn't ready for him!"
"Blackwell averaged 19.1 points per game at Wisconsin last season and earned third‑team All‑Big Ten honors, confirming he was one of the top‑tier scorers in a power‑conference," commented a poster.
"That kind of veteran perimeter scoring is exactly what Duke needed as they retool their roster."