I’m thrilled to be here, and I want to continue working for this fantastic club. John Blackwell and the Wisconsin Badgers basketball team have just decided to extend their contract.

John Blackwell is back.

After testing the NBA Draft waters this spring, Wisconsin’s breakout guard has announced he’s returning for the 2025–26 season. Blackwell, who averaged 15.8 PPG last year while starting all 37 games, will now lead a reloaded Badgers roster that’s added key transfers like Andrew Rohde (Virginia), Nick Boyd (SDSU), and Braeden Carrington (Tulsa).

With All-American John Tonje off to the NBA, Blackwell becomes the alpha for a team that won 27 games last season. His return gives Wisconsin a proven scorer, vocal leader, and NBA prospect looking to boost his stock in year three under Greg Gard.

🏀 HE’S BACK: John Blackwell Returns to Wisconsin for 2025–26

The junior guard withdraws from the NBA Draft and reclaims his role as the leader of a reloaded Badgers roster.

After evaluating his NBA Draft stock this spring, junior combo guard John Blackwell has officially announced his return to Wisconsin for the 2025–26 season. The 6’4″ scorer, who averaged 15.8 points per game last year, gives the Badgers much-needed continuity and star power amid one of the most aggressive roster overhauls of Greg Gard’s tenure. With All-American John Tonje off to the NBA, the Badgers will now look to Blackwell to lead the charge in a loaded Big Ten.

John Blackwell’s decision to return for his junior year may prove to be the defining moment of Wisconsin’s offseason.

In an era where loyalty is rare and the portal is always calling, Blackwell chose stability, unfinished business, and one more year under the bright lights of the Kohl Center. He didn’t just test the draft process—he used it the right way. And now, Wisconsin gets its heart and soul back.

For a program that’s been steadily modernizing its offensive system and gaining national respect in analytics circles (top 20 in KenPom offensive efficiency for two straight years), Blackwell is the ideal poster boy for the “new Badgers.”

If he takes another leap—especially as a shooter and leader—he won’t just be back in the NBA conversation. He’ll be remembered as one of the most important Badgers in the Greg Gard era.