John Blackwell has finally made his decision, and it was the one that was teased the entire time. Blackwell will be a Duke Blue Devil next year and presumably make a lot of money doing so. It always seemed to be Duke because of the money offered, the championship odds, and the chance to be propelled to a lottery pick. Only one of those can Blackwell secure for sure, and he probably did exactly that, but his Duke choice has rubbed Wisconsin fans the wrong way.
There's real frustration among Wisconsin fans after Blackwell made his choice, but they joined in with a loathing understanding of it. Sure, get paid and go try to win a National Championship. But the frustration stems from a dated quote in which Blackwell called himself a "Badger for Life."
Transferring alone negates that, but transferring to Duke or any Big Ten school double-negates it. At least according to many Badger fans.
So much for “badger for life” 🤡
— The Ledge Cards (@Airos6126) April 21, 2026
Listen, I don’t blame John for getting a bag in this era…
— Badger Barstool (@badgerbarstool) April 21, 2026
But he’s definitely not a Badger 4L https://t.co/lhoPOSZo9l
John Blackwell calling himself a “Badger4L” then going to the program who delivered the worst day in Wisconsin Basketball history is genuinely hilarious ngl
— NATIONAL CHAMPION Dr. Marte (@Badgers_44) April 21, 2026
John Blackwell spurns Wisconsin to go to Duke and Badger fans are frustrated
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Blackwell, a former Badger, went to the school that took the Wisconsin national championship away from the Badgers, so he can win a championship. Yup, that's the problem and why Wisconsin fans can't believe it.
Sure, there's an element of "At least it's not Illinois" or another Big Ten school, but it didn't really have to be any of those. Now, maybe Duke offered the most money, and there's some understanding there. Until the NIL is regulated, get as much of it as you can now; it makes sense. Especially because Blackwell may only be a fringe NBA player. It's hard to see a jump at Duke that puts him in the lottery position, but maybe.
Either way, for now, Blackwell has taken his role of being the villain last season at Wisconsin seriously, but has become the villain to Wisconsin. It may fade over time, and the reasons make sense, but it still stings.
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