The Duke basketball program will enter the 2026-27 season as a heavyweight national title contender after a vastly successful offseason from head coach Jon Scheyer and his staff.
The Blue Devils are bringing back four of their top six scorers from last season in Patrick Ngongba, Dame Sarr, Caleb Foster, and Cayden Boozer, along with a top-three 2026 recruiting class.
Mar 29, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Dame Sarr (7) makes a layup against the UConn Huskies in the second half during an Elite Eight game of the East Regional of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
Scheyer tapped into the transfer portal this offseason more than he ever has through his first four years at the helm for Duke, bringing in former Belmont forward Drew Scharnowski, former Wisconsin guard John Blackwell, and former Loyola Maryland guard Jacob Theodosiou.
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The headliner of that portal class is Blackwell, the No. 3 overall player in this year’s portal cycle, according to 247Sports.
Mar 19, 2026; Portland, OR, USA; Wisconsin Badgers guard John Blackwell (25) shoots against High Point Panthers center Youssouf Singare (24) during the first half of a first round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images | Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images
John Blackwell Is a Bona Fide Scorer
As a junior with the Badgers, Blackwell established himself as one of the best scorers in college basketball, averaging 19.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.1 steals a night on 43.0% shooting from the field and 38.9% shooting from three-point range on 7.3 attempts.
The 6’4″ guard tallied 15 outings of 20 points or more and five games of 30 or more, including two in a row in the Big Ten Tournament against Illinois and Washington.
Breaking Down Blackwell’s Potential Role
Blackwell thrives with the ball in his hands and will likely be the Blue Devils’ go-to guy offensively. When he entered the portal, he mentioned how he wanted to go to a place where he can have the ball in his hands often, and he’ll have that opportunity at Duke with no other proven volume scorer on the roster.
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“Jon Scheyer desperately needed a big-time scorer on the perimeter, and he landed the best one in the portal with Blackwell,” ESPN’s Jeff Borzello said. “He will have plenty of competition for the role he has said he wants — more on-ball responsibility — but completes arguably the deepest perimeter group in the country.”
Mar 19, 2026; Portland, OR, USA; Wisconsin Badgers guard John Blackwell (25) drives against High Point Panthers guard Conrad Martinez (9) during the second half of a first round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images
Despite his high-volume scoring, Blackwell was the No. 2 option for the Badgers last season, behind Nick Boyd, who averaged nearly 21 points a contest.
A career 44.1% shooter from the field and 37% shooter from long range, Blackwell will have the freedom to get 15 shots up a game in the backcourt. The Michigan native also moves very well without the ball, so Duke’s talented passing bigs will be able to create open looks at the basket for him off cuts.
Mar 19, 2026; Portland, OR, USA; Wisconsin Badgers guard John Blackwell (25) controls the ball against High Point Panthers forward Terry Anderson (5) during the first half of a first round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images | Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images
Blackwel has the potential to average 20-23 points per game as a senior.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/duke as Breaking Down John Blackwell’s Role With Duke.
