Blackwell named to Jerry West Preseason Watch List

MADISON, Wis. – Wisconsin males’s junior basketball participant John Blackwell has been named to the Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Preseason Watch List, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame introduced Tuesday. 

The 6-foot-4 do-it-all guard is certainly one of 20 gamers named to the award’s preseason watch record, which is offered yearly on the finish of every season. 

He’s accompanied by two different Big Ten Conference guards on the watch record, together with Illinois’ Kylan Boswell and Washington’s Wesley Yates III. 

It’s Blackwell’s second main honor of the preseason, incomes Preseason All-Big Ten Team honors two weeks in the past. He ranked second on the Badgers final 12 months in scoring, averaging 15.8 factors per sport en path to All-Big Ten Honorable Mention honors. He was additionally named to the Big Ten’s All-Tournament workforce, posting 14.5 factors and 4.3 rebounds whereas main UW to the Big Ten championship sport.  

Blackwell tallied eight video games with over 20 factors final season, main Bucky to a 6-2 file in these contests. He’s constantly performed the Badgers’ soiled work, rating second on the workforce with 32 steals final season. His 38 offensive rebounds had been the second-most for a Big Ten participant 6-foot-4 or shorter. 

The Michigan native is not any stranger to recognition, relationship all the way in which again to his freshman marketing campaign in 2023-24. Blackwell put up 8 factors per sport, changing into the third-consecutive Badger to earn Big Ten All-Freshman Team honors, becoming a member of Chucky Hepburn (2022) and Connor Essegian (2023). 

The Jerry West Award Watchlist will progress all through the season, remaining fluid so gamers can transfer on and off the record till the Final 5 are chosen in March. Fan voting opens as soon as the Final 5 announcement is made, giving Badger followers the chance to get Blackwell nationwide consideration come season-end. 

Blackwell and the Badgers tackle UW-Platteville on Wednesday on the Kohl Center. Tipoff is ready for 7 p.m. and tickets can be found on UWBadgers.com.