It still hurts to think about Wisconsin star John Blackwell not returning to Madison next season.
In case you missed it, Blackwell will test the NBA Draft waters, but he has also entered the transfer portal, with several schools making a quick move to try to land him. Among those schools showing interest are two Big Ten rivals that the Wisconsin faithful simply don't want him to play for.
Replacing John Blackwell gets the headlines but Greg Gard has this much bigger need
Yup, that'd be Illinois and Michigan, as Dusty May and Brad Underwood are both hoping to work their magic to sign Blackwell. Is he going to end up playing for either of those coaches, or will Blackwell surprise us all by heading somewhere else instead?
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
John Blackwell landing with either Illinois or Michigan would be devastating for Wisconsin fans
Blackwell was once again a stud for the Badgers this past campaign, averaging more than 19 points per game. He's such a great defender too, which gives opposing teams all sorts of problems. The fact that he's not going to be putting on a show for Greg Gard anymore is tough to swallow.
With that said, things are only going to be made worse if he does sign with a conference foe. With Illinois, it'd make some sense, as Underwood and Co. just went to the Final Four. You also can't forget that Blackwell's dad played for the Fighting Illini in the 1980s.
As for Michigan? May and his studs just won the national title and they already have a repeat on their minds. The Wolverines are going to have to replace a ton of talent, but that's what the transfer portal is for and May is locked in on bringing in more help for next season.
It's not a surprise that Michigan is trying to flex its muscles in trying to sign Blackwell, especially after it just won its second title in program history. Blackwell and Wisconsin beat Michigan not long ago, but now the thought of the former Badger superstar wearing their jersey is in the works?
It just doesn't feel right and the same can be said for him playing for Illinois. Maybe Duke works its magic to get things done? Who knows, but for now, there's a lot of concern about Blackwell signing with a Big Ten school among Wisconsin supporters everywhere.