Blackwell named to Wooden Top-50 Watchlist

MADISON, Wis. – Wisconsin males’s basketball junior John Blackwell has been named to the 2025-26 John R. Wooden Award Top 50 Watch List, as introduced on Tuesday.

It’s Blackwell’s fourth main honor of the younger season, accompanying his Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy Men’s College Player of the Year Watchlist, Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Preseason Watch List and the Preseason All-Big Ten group.

He is one-of-50 gamers named to the College Player of the Year Watchlist, and one-of-12 from the Big Ten. 

A local of Michigan, Blackwell has averaged 19.5 factors via 4 video games this season, including 5.3 rebounds and a pair of assists per contest. He was one-point shy of his profession excessive within the season-opener in opposition to Campbell, dropping 31 factors on 10-of-19 taking pictures. He notched 24 factors in Monday’s win over SIUE thanks to 5 three-pointers, including a season-high 6 rebounds. His 78 complete factors this 12 months are the sixth-most for a Badger to start out the season since 1990-00. 

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 group, posting 14.5 factors and 4.3 rebounds whereas main UW to the Big Ten championship sport.  He tallied eight video games with over 20 factors final season, aiding Bucky to a 6-2 document in these contests. 

Blackwell isn’t any stranger to recognition, courting all the way in which again to his freshman marketing campaign in 2023-24. He put up 8 factors per sport, turning into the third-consecutive Badger to earn Big Ten All-Freshman Team honors, becoming a member of Chucky Hepburn (2022) and Connor Essegian (2023).

Blackwell and the Badgers look to enhance to 5-0 on Friday with a matchup in opposition to No. 9 BYU in Salt Lake City. Tipoff is ready for 3 p.m. CT on Peacock.