While it might have been somewhat expected, that doesn't mean this doesn't hurt. Moments ago, the update Wisconsin fans were fearing arrived, with the news that standout guard John Blackwell isn't planning to return to Madison next season.
Wisconsin randomly catches a stray during the Final Four
Blackwell will be entering the transfer portal, while also testing the NBA Draft waters. The news was first reported by ESPN's Jeff Borzello. Should Blackwell stay in the college game, there's going to be a massive line waiting trying to sign him. In this piece we take a look at three teams in particular who would make sense for him, with some conference foes unfortunately being featured. This is no question a massive loss for Greg Gard and his staff.
NEW: Wisconsin guard John Blackwell plans to enter the NCAA transfer portal while going through the NBA draft process, @jeffborzello reports.
— Transfer Portal (@TransferPortal) April 6, 2026
Blackwell averaged 19.1 points and 5.1 rebounds per game this past season.https://t.co/EAFiKSDhAc pic.twitter.com/y42ZXPuJav
Brad Underwood would be wise to go after John Blackwell
One of the first teams that comes to mind would be Illinois. The Fighting Illini just posted a dream season, reaching the Final Four. Brad Underwood was in tears after the loss to UConn, but he made it more than clear he's going to be motivated to get this team back ready to go on a deep run next season.
Blackwell would instantly become a game-changing player for him. One thing to note here too is that Blackwell's father played for Illinois in the 1980s. That's something Underwood could no question sell to the Wisconsin standout if Illinois does decide to make a run at him.
Tom Izzo now has the chance to recruit John Blackwell
One of the worst-kept secrets in all of college basketball is that Tom Izzo is a huge, huge fan of Blackwell. Whenever the Badgers and Michigan State have faced off, Izzo has been quick to talk up Blackwell and the difference he makes on both ends of the floor.
This season didn't quite go to plan for the Spartans, who were hoping to reach the Final Four. No one can argue with the fact that Izzo is a genius when it comes to hoops and he'd be ready to take Blackwell's game to the next level. On top of that, Michigan State is competitive when it comes to NIL and they could put a handsome offer on the table for him.
Could John Blackwell be the missing piece for Mark Pope at Kentucky?
We don't have to tell you that Mark Pope is on the hot seat at Kentucky, as fans are losing patience with him struggling. The Wildcats, with a loaded roster, lost in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, which was unacceptable.
Pope is going to be quite aggressive in the portal and a stud guard presumably will be at the top of his wishlist. We know NIL is never going to be a problem for Kentucky. Wisconsin fans would hate to see Blackwell make the move to the SEC side, but they're surely a program to monitor moving forward.