Jon Scheyer and the Duke Basketball staff are welcoming in the top recruiting class in the 2026 cycle. It's a class that will help shape not only this season but the future of the program as well.

But arguably the biggest addition for Scheyer was in the transfer portal with guard John Blackwell.

After a few seasons at Wisconsin, Blackwell decided to transfer and committed to the Blue Devils. He had a breakout campaign in the 2025-26 season, leading to interest from Duke. And it was hard for him to say no to that.

Now, weeks later, Blackwell isn't saying no to Duke once again in terms of his latest decision. 

With the NBA Draft deadline this weekend, Blackwell had a big decision to make in terms of his future. He received a lot of feedback from NBA teams and scouts over the course of a few weeks. 

Now, he's officially made his decision and he's heading to Duke as he has withdrawn from the draft. It's a huge decision for Duke and Blackwell as the Blue Devils now get a key piece to the backcourt, making it official.

In terms of what Blackwell can bring to the Blue Devils, 247Sports' Adam Finkelstein breaks it down: 

Blackwell is a strong-bodied scoring guard who made notable strides with his game in each of his three seasons at Wisconsin. He knocked down 39% of his threes as a junior, on over 7 attempts per game, and has extreme gravity as a spot-up shooter, making 67% of his open catch-and-shoot threes per Synergy. He's far from one dimensional though, attacking in straight lines and playing through contact. He's not an elite athlete at the rim, and can struggle to finish at times, but compensates with his overall skill and intangibles as he's smart, competitive, and tough. Blackwell is also a very good perimeter rebounder.

Blackwell is ranked as the No. 3 overall player in the 247Sports transfer portal rankings and is projected to be a two-guard at Duke. With Cayden Boozer back as well as welcoming in Deron Rippey Jr., the Blue Devils have a really solid backcourt.