Why Duke Basketball’s John Blackwell an Underrated NPOY Candidate

The 2026-27 Duke Blue Devils will probably operate a bit differently than they have over the past couple of years.

Head coach Jon Scheyer and his staff likely will not have the best player in the entire sport on their roster, as they have in the past two seasons with Cameron Boozer and Cooper Flagg. Instead, this team was built with continuity and balance.

Mar 27, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer reacts in the first half during a Sweet Sixteen game of the East Regional of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Blue Devils are probably the deepest team in college basketball heading into the year, with length and switchability across the board on defense. On offense, Duke probably won’t revolve everything around one player, as it did with Boozer and Flagg, but Wisconsin transfer John Blackwell will be the ringleader for this team’s offensive success.

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Blackwell isn’t getting enough buzz as one of the top 2027 National Player of the Year candidates.

Mar 19, 2026; Portland, OR, USA; Wisconsin Badgers guard John Blackwell (25) drives against High Point Panthers guard Conrad Martinez (9) during the second half of a first round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Why John Blackwell Is an Underrated National Player of the Year Candidate

Calling it a “criticism” isn’t the right way to put it, but one key difference between this year’s Duke team and those in the past couple of years is that it will not have a bona fide National Player of the Year frontrunner on its roster. It’s probably true that Duke won’t have the most dominant player in the sport on its roster this year, but Blackwell has the path and skill set to be a legitimate NPOY candidate.

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Again, the Blue Devils likely won’t build their offense around one guy. This year’s squad, at least on…

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Publish date : 2026-09-25 10:00:00

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