Duke lands John Blackwell, top guard in transfer portal - ESPN

Wisconsin transfer John Blackwell has committed to Duke, he told ESPN on Tuesday.

Blackwell, who visited Duke on Monday, was the best guard to enter the transfer portal this spring.

«It just felt right,» Blackwell told ESPN. «It felt like the right situation for me. I just connected with Coach [Jon Scheyer] on a different level. We built a connection in these past weeks of just talking to him and him selling why Duke is the right spot for me. Me taking this visit was just confirmation on why I should be at Duke.»

Blackwell, a 6-foot-4 guard, earned third-team All-Big Ten honors this past season after averaging a career-high 19.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists, shooting nearly 39% from 3-point range.

He was at his best in the postseason. Blackwell had 34 points and 10 rebounds in the third round of the Big Ten tournament against Washington, following it with 31 points on 9-for-17 shooting in an overtime win over Illinois. While Wisconsin was upset by 12-seed High Point in the first round of the men's NCAA tournament, Blackwell finished with 22 points and 10 rebounds against the Panthers.

Blackwell, who is represented by Todd Ramasar and Alexis Liatsos at Life Sports Agency, will have the opportunity to carry that momentum over to Duke.

«Their pitch to me was, come here, have freedom,» Blackwell said. «You can come here and be a draft pick, and that's always my dream. Come here and help us win a national championship. Those are just things I love to hear. I love the campus, I love the people surrounding Duke. That's why I made my choice to be a Blue Devil.»

Blackwell, who is still going through the NBA draft process, is joining a backcourt that includes returnees Caleb Foster (8.3 PPG) and Cayden Boozer (7.7 PPG), as