Duke head coach Jon Scheyer made a huge splash in the transfer portal this offseason, reeling in probably the No. 1 player in the portal with John Blackwell. It wasn't an easy battle as Duke was up against Louisville and Illinois, and it seemed the Cardinals had very deep pockets for a good NIL deal.
Blackwell, in the end, chose the Blue Devils over the Cardinals and the Fighting Illini, a team his father played for back in the day. The good news for Duke fans is that Blackwell chose the Blue Devils, but the bad news is tha the did declare for the NBA Draft and is testing the waters a bit.
The Wisconsin transfer decided to declare for the draft, but made it known that if he returned to college basketball, it would be with Duke. It is a big 'if' though, especially after a recent interview with college basketball expert Andy Katz.
John Blackwell isn't doing anything to assure Duke fans he is coming to Durham
Duke fans probably thought they were in the clear when Blackwell chose Duke over Louisville and Illinois, especially battling deep pockets and family ties. However, now they are holding their breath again as Blackwell goes through the NBA Draft process.
Blackwell joined Katz for an interview at the NBA Combine, which is taking place now till May 17. Katz asked Blackwell a slew of questions, but there is only one that fans and Scheyer himself are probably paying attention to: Are you leaning more towards the NBA or Duke? The answer may not be what Duke is hoping for.
"It's up in the air right now," Blackwell said. "I'm just trusting God through the process. I would love to play for a prestigious college like Duke, but chasing my dreams right now and just weighing what's best for me."
👀 @TheAndyKatz caught up with John Blackwell about his current status on whether he’ll return to college to play for Duke or declare for the NBA Draft 👏 pic.twitter.com/p66reu96xB
— Andy Katz (@SidelinewithAK) May 11, 2026
Of course, Blackwell wants to see his dream of playing in the NBA come true; he wouldn't be in the draft process right now if that wasn't the case. He certainly deserves that, but fans would love to see him come to Durham and win a National Championship.
Blackwell did say that Scheyer has been helping him through the whole process, which proves he is making a connection with the Duke head coach. Blackwell also feels like either way he goes, it is a win-win situation for him.
Blackwell is doing what many college players tend to do and test the NBA waters, and if he feels it is the right time for him to go to the next level, he will, but he also knows he has a spot waiting at, as he said, the best college in the country to play basketball.
There is so much that Blackwell can bring to Duke, and he even picked the Blue Devils because of the prospect of winning a National Championship. That kind of answer is what Duke fans will love to hear, but hearing the decision is still 50-50 right now, which certainly makes everyone wonder what he will pick.
Players in the NBA Draft process have until May 27 at 11:59 p.m. EST to withdraw to maintain NCAA eligibility.
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