Duke guard John Blackwell heads list of notable men’s college basketball transfers

Duke coach Jon Scheyer’s frank message made an impression on John Blackwell when the former Wisconsin guard entered the transfer portal.

“He just kept it real,” Blackwell told reporters. “He didn’t sugarcoat. He said we’re going to push you every single day. That’s what it’s been.”

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Blackwell believes that approach could help him cap his college career with a deep postseason run with the second-ranked Blue Devils.

The 6-foot-5 guard scored 1,505 points in three seasons at Wisconsin to rank 11th on the Badgers’ career scoring list. Blackwell averaged 19.1 points and 5.1 rebounds last season while helping Wisconsin go 24-11 before an 83-82 loss to High Point in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

“He’s a proven scorer who’s been in those moments, also understands he doesn’t need to the ball to always impact winning,” Scheyer told reporters.

A media panel made Blackwell a first-team preseason all-Atlantic Coast Conference selection. Blackwell finished second to Virginia forward Thijs De Ridder in voting for ACC preseason player of the year.

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Blackwell’s preseason performance showcases how much of an impact he could make for Duke. He scored 23 points in a 90-84 win over No. 17 Kansas and 18 points in a 103-64 victory over No. 8 Tennessee.

Here’s a look at some other transfers who should make big contributions for their new teams:

Flory Bidunga, Louisville (Kansas)

This 6-foot-9 forward from the Democratic Republic of the Congo earned second-team Associated Press all-Big 12 honors last season and was selected by Big 12 coaches the league’s defensive player of the year. He totaled 145 blocks in two seasons at Kansas, and he averaged 13.3 points and 9 rebounds in 2025-26. An Atlantic Coast Conference media panel made him a preseason first-team all-ACC selection. No. 11 Louisville also has Oregon transfer Jackson Shelstad, a preseason second-team all-ACC pick.

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Juke Harris, Tennessee (Wake Forest)

Harris comes to Tennessee after scoring 21.4 points…

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Publish date : 2026-10-31 18:48:00

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