Wisconsin Transfer John Blackwell Cancels Louisville Visit, Says Travis Branham

Wisconsin transfer guard John Blackwell has canceled his scheduled visit to Louisville, according to Travis Branham of 247Sports, as reported by Badgers Wire on April 21, 2026.

Blackwell visited Duke on Monday, April 20, 2026 and following that visit, both 247Sports and On3 logged predictions favoring him to commit to the Blue Devils.

The former Wisconsin star had initially listed six finalists after entering the transfer portal: Alabama, Arizona, Duke, Illinois, Louisville, and UCLA. He had taken visits to UCLA and Duke, with the Louisville visit scheduled for later in the week before its cancellation.

Blackwell is regarded as a five-star transfer prospect, ranked by 247Sports as the No. 3 overall player in the portal and the top shooting guard. On3 ranks him as the No. 5 overall player and No. 2 shooting guard in its 2026 Transfer Portal Player Rankings.

During the past season at Wisconsin, Blackwell averaged 19.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game, while shooting 43.0% from the field and 38.9% from beyond the arc. He made 96 three-pointers and was named an All-Big Ten Third-Team selection.

Blackwell made 105 appearances and 72 starts over three seasons at Wisconsin and has one year of eligibility remaining.

If Blackwell commits to Duke, he would become the program’s second incoming transfer, joining Belmont transfer forward Drew Scharnowski, who averaged 10.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game last season.

Duke is returning starters Cayden Boozer and Patrick Ngongba II for the upcoming season. Boozer made 38 appearances and 11 starts as a true freshman, averaging 7.7 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game while shooting 50.0% from the field and 30.3% from beyond the arc.

Boozer and Blackwell could form one of the most dangerous backcourts in the country should Blackwell choose to join the Blue Devils.

Duke was a buzzer-beating three-pointer away from a second consecutive Final Four appearance in the 2025-26 season under head coach Jon Scheyer, who is still seeking the program’s first national title since 2015.

Wisconsin recently addressed its roster needs with three transfer commitments, the most notable being Miami (Ohio) wing Eian Elmer, who is expected to carry a significant scoring load for the Badgers next season.

Blackwell’s potential move to Duke would represent a notable development for Badgers fans, given that Duke denied Wisconsin a national title in 2015.

As of the latest reports, Blackwell appears close to committing to Duke following the cancellation of his Louisville visit and his recent trip to Durham.