John Blackwell transferred to Duke and it wasn't really a surprise. Now is his chance to capitalize on his value and even put himself in a position to win a championship in his senior season. Sure, it's annoying for fans to see a beloved Wisconsin player go to Duke of all places, but it is what it is. Until Blackwell decided to speak about his decision to be a Blue Devil, he said something absolutely nonsensical.
Blackwell speaking to Field of 68's Jeff Goodman said, "For me, I want to be more on the ball. I'm 6'4", so I'm naturally a point guard. That's just the things I didn't do at Wisconsin. No knock to them, it's just how I want to elevate my game to go to the next level."
We already touched on one reason why this quote is insane, with three major reasons that somehow Blackwell is missing. Things like: Wisconsin let him be the primary point guard two years ago, and he was better as the No. 2. Or maybe that he's not that great at the position, he's way better off the ball, and that's not a dig on him, it just is what it is. However, the other reason that keeps sticking in my mind is that Duke doesn't need a point guard at all.
Duke already has three elite point guards on the roster and Blackwell will play SG
Did Jon Scheyer lie to him? Was Blackwell promised a point guard role? Because Duke's roster doesn't have room for another point guard. Not even close. There are three other players ahead of Blackwell on that depth chart, and as a senior, Blackwell isn't going to wait for the position to clear up.
Duke already has Cayden Boozer returning for next season, who's naturally a point guard. There's Caleb Foster, who's an experienced veteran who plays an excellent point guard. Oh, and there's also the No. 1 point guard in the 2026 recruiting class coming in, Derron Rippey Jr. He's a top-10 recruit and a 5-star player; he's going to get some run.
So what is Blackwell talking about? Is this his way of saying, the NBA wants me to play on the ball more if I'm going to the NBA next? That would make sense given his size, but it doesn't make sense given his skillset, and it definitely doesn't make sense given Duke's roster.
Blackwell, it's okay to say, 'I got the best deal at Duke financially, and they also have a solid chance to win a National Championship.' Everyone understands that and knows that going for a payday was a big deciding factor, so don't say nonsense like "I'm going to be on the ball more." Because that's simply not true, and it makes absolutely zero sense.
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