After a huge sophomore season, and a brief attempt at going to the NBA, star player John Blackwell is back for the Badgers for a third season. With the losses of John Tonje, Steven Crowl and Max Klesmit, this is now Blackwell's team. He made a huge jump in year two as a first year starter, but how far can Blackwell take his game in 2025?
In his freshman season, Blackwell was a spark off the bench, scoring eight points per game on 45% shooting from beyond arc. He followed it up with an impressive sophomore season, scoring almost 16 points per game. 5.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists and serving as the number two option behind Tonje. Several new transfers will be suiting up for Greg Gard and the Badgers this year, but it's clear Blackwell will remain a focal point, so what could a breakout season look like for him?
Has John Blackwell reached his ceiling yet?
Blackwell's role may slightly differ from 2024. Last season, he handled most of the point guard duties, but now with the addition of Nick Boyd, Blackwell may play a combination of the point, two or even three spot. In terms of scoring and rebounding, Blackwell should easily be able to replicate, and hopefully eclipse his 2024 numbers, but his passing will need to level up for his game to reach NBA levels. He averaged just 2.2 assists, third on the team, with 2.1 turnovers per game, while newcomer Nick Boyd was a much more proficient 3.9 assists to just 1.8 turnovers in his season with San Diego State.
Blackwell will also need to regain his three-point shot. After hitting 45% as a freshman, he dropped to making just 32% of his attempts last season. A little sophomore slump shouldn't be too concerning though, he still had 13 games last year where he shot over 40% from deep. He's a great three-level scorer and should have little issue putting up some big numbers offensively for the Badgers this year.
Ultimately, Blackwell has shown every indication that he still has not yet reached his ceiling and his game can still improve. How he fits in with several new starters will be interesting to see, but there's no doubt he has the potential to be Wisconsin's next first round pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Here's our prediction for Blackwell's 2025 season: 17.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.3 assists per game.