While former Wisconsin guard John Blackwell expects to compete for a national championship at Duke next year in his final season of college basketball, most of his decision to leave the Badgers appears to be for professional reasons.
And it’s not just because of the NIL raise he’ll get during his short stay with the Blue Devils.
In a Field of 68 podcast interview with Jeff Goodman, Blackwell said the Duke coaching staff plans to get him better-prepared for his NBA dreams by letting him play more point guard.
“They showed me how my role would fit in the NBA. For me, I want to be more on the ball,” Blackwell said. “I’m 6-4, so I’m naturally a point guard. And 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.”
Though Blackwell averaged 19.1 points a game last season and finished eighth in the Big Ten in scoring, teammate Nick Boyd, who averaged 20.7 points and 4.3 assists, was the primary point guard.
Though he excelled over the last two seasons at Wisconsin – he averaged 15.8 points a game in his sophomore season – it’s clear Blackwell is looking to have the ball in his hands more, despite Duke’s talent and depth.
“I’m surrounded by pros,” Blackwell said. “Just show off my playmaking skills and make the right reads through pick and rolls, through actions, NBA pro actions. That’s one area I want to show.”
The Blue Devils are expected to be loaded in the backcourt with Caden Boozer and Caleb Foster returning and five-star recruit Deron Rippey Jr. expected to see significant time.
When asked to describe his game to Duke fans, Blackwell said he can score at “all three levels” but was also the “ultimate team player.” He also said that his defense needed to take “the biggest jump.”
Here’s the complete interview with Goodman:
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: John Blackwell talks about why he chose Duke after leaving Wisconsin
Reporting by Emmett Prosser, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
