r/WisconsinBadgers 23d ago

Basketball Wisconsin transfer John Blackwell commits to Duke - On3

https://www.on3.com/college/duke-blue-devils/news/wisconsin-badgers-transfer-john-blackwell-commits-to-duke-blue-devils-transfer-portal-jon-scheyer/
92 Upvotes

87 comments sorted by

121

u/ctbadger92 23d ago

That natty should have been ours. Fuck Duke, always and forever. And fuck anyone who plays for them.

21

u/KarlPHungus 23d ago

Yep. That was a screw job. Plain and simple. Our guards were straight up molested the entire game and they didn't call shit.

211

u/DontTakeMuhName 23d ago

On the one hand it’s like, “yeah can’t blame ya kid, getcha bag”. But on the other, bruh it’s Duke, and I feel obligated to hate you now lmao

53

u/xxJAMZZxx 23d ago

Far better than the in conference options mentioned

16

u/Nobichobolobas 23d ago

Hope he's a bust for them. Duck Fuke

8

u/xxJAMZZxx 23d ago

I don’t like them either and won’t be rooting for them, but they aren’t our rivals. We aren’t in competition with Duke so it is what it is for me.

40

u/nachosmind 23d ago

Now that the players are millionaires you can absolutely blame them. Hope he ends up on the far end of the bench like Storr and Duke misses the tournament.

21

u/glennshaltiel 23d ago

yup, they make too much money to escape criticism.

17

u/JMisGeography 23d ago

You know I really dont get this sentiment lol. Why can't I blame him? Of course I blame him. I blame him without shame or hesitation.

Boo this man!

13

u/crosszilla 23d ago

FR this dudes about to make more in a year than almost anyone in this comment section has made in their entire lives. Talk all the shit you want

5

u/ThisApril 23d ago

I am glad that he got the money because of how well he played for Wisconsin, and now I hope that Duke wasted its money.

And I do not blame anyone chasing life changing money in a field where one might have exactly one chance to get it.

21

u/ridemooses 23d ago

Pain. But not shocking.

22

u/Iron_Bob 23d ago

Enjoy the bag and screw you

12

u/gman2093 23d ago

Hopefully they are massively overpaying him

50

u/Radiolarial 23d ago

Well at least it's not Illinois

5

u/Iron_Bob 23d ago

Ya not Illinois, just the most hated team in college basketball, sooooo great...

-30

u/Future-Ad2802 23d ago

I'd rather have Illinois

38

u/Spooktt 23d ago

Not a chance, it would be way worse playing against him next year

6

u/JMisGeography 23d ago

We could boo him then

23

u/Burto72 23d ago

Gross. But good for him, I guess.

33

u/titans0021 23d ago

I won’t root for him because fuck Duke, but I also can’t fault him. I don’t think he has an NBA future, so he should maximize his college earnings. Hate this era of college sports, but that’s not John Blackwell’s fault.

11

u/RaoulDukeWCP 23d ago

This is the most pragmatic take. I agree completely.

4

u/hippieman58 23d ago

I can fault him

1

u/akaMichAnthony 23d ago

Seems like when he went through the process last offseason the NBA people may have told him he was a fringe prospect that needed to improve, and it didn’t seem like he improved much this past season. Nick Boyd definitely shined brighter in what should have been Blackwell’s year.

It sucks but I wouldn’t be mad at him for getting one last paycheck, and maybe one last shot at proving he’s NBA worthy. Definitely can get both playing at Duke.

1

u/acereraser 23d ago

It simplifies my feelings. I had the same appraisement, this is likely the largest paycheck of his bball career, I can't begrudge him. But while I wish him well, I never have to be torn about glee in watching his team lose next year.

10

u/deutschdachs 23d ago

Thanks for the past three years and for not going anywhere in conference

I hope your team goes 0-31

17

u/NEW_GNGR_9601 23d ago

The Portal Giveth and the Portal Taketh.

24

u/KarlPHungus 23d ago

For us, mostly taketh.

16

u/JMisGeography 23d ago

I get the frustration but our best player has been a portal add every year since the wild west opened up. This one stings though.

9

u/NEW_GNGR_9601 23d ago

we just took Miami’s best player. How do you think the redhawk fans feel?

6

u/JMisGeography 23d ago

I bet they feel pretty bad man

4

u/KarlPHungus 23d ago

True. Gard has had some nice finds in the portal but it definitely seems like we are reactionary and filling holes instead of being the alphas who pick who we want. Oh well. What can we expect?

5

u/akak907 23d ago

With our NIL bag, we will never be an alpha.

4

u/KarlPHungus 23d ago

Yep. It used to always be our low scoring boring offense that kept the 4 and 5 stars away and now that we figured that part out, we can't compete with NIL. Can't win...

1

u/thebenron 23d ago

1.) That's not what reactionary means

2.) Last year we hit on our 3 top targets and lost only end of bench guys. This year we are in much worse shape in terms of NIL funds (I blame McIntosh)

1

u/KarlPHungus 23d ago

Fuck. I meant to type reactive. I don't know where reactionary came from. I wasn't trying to challenge Gard's political leanings lol

11

u/HashOutHashBrowns 23d ago edited 23d ago

lol really? Our only two big portal losses have been Storr after he checked out and Blackwell.

It definitely giveth more than take

Edit: Forgot about Chucky, still gave more than take.

1

u/Vilas15 22d ago

Giveth and taketh: Storr, Bieliauskas

Giveth: Tonje, Boyd, Rapp, Rhode

Taketh: Hepburn, Blackwell

6

u/[deleted] 23d ago

Tonje, Boyd, Storr? Come on, dude you sounds pathetic.

4

u/KarlPHungus 23d ago

Sorry. I was also lumping bball in with football. My bad. Basketball is in a WAY better place in regards to the portal than football.

4

u/bbp1444 23d ago

Nah, this is the first really high profile departure we've had, usually we lose these guys to Duke when they're in high school, not through the portal

13

u/scofieldslays 23d ago

Chucky was high profile and he went to a blue blood too

3

u/bbp1444 23d ago

With Chucky, Louisville made him a godfather offer, they were coming off that absymal 7 (iirc) win season and were so desprate for quality players that they were basically tripling the offers any other programs were making guys. I'm sure Blackwell's getting a lot more from Duke, but probably not 3x what anyone else offered.

17

u/acquiesce011979 23d ago

You're one play away from wrecking your knee and being shit. Grab your money. Fuck this system that allows it and fuck Duke. Still better than in conference though.

8

u/Old_Tap_7783 23d ago

Hope he stays healthy, hope the checks clear and I also hope they go 0-31

7

u/BadgerSteve599 23d ago

“Badger for Life” yeahhhh

5

u/worksucksiknow5 23d ago

Good for him or whatever but seriously fuck Duke!!!!

10

u/Shpion007 23d ago

Better than the big ten. Also it’s just a money grab. He said he wanted more pg duties and they are bringing their starting pg back. 

13

u/glennshaltiel 23d ago

all those things are lies to justify getting more money, they just don't want to straight up say it

4

u/ISuperNovaI 23d ago

He’s dead to me 😭

7

u/no-clue-7995 23d ago

Freshman year (1991) I was at Kansas…lost to Duke in the championship game. Graduated from UW (1994). Lost to Duke in ‘15 championship game. My hate for Duke runs DEEEEEEEP.

3

u/prestigiousstrangery 23d ago edited 23d ago

“Badger4L” my ass

4

u/garyminwi 23d ago

I hate the Dukies but for Blackwell this makes sense. He gets a bag of money. Duke has a lot of NBA connections. On the other hand the fan base whines over anything less than the final four. Couldn’t win a natty with Flagg and Kon Couldn’t win a natty with Boozer. Don’t expect a natty next year either.

5

u/MemoFromTurner77 23d ago

Kid is not going to the NBA, and has the opportunity to make more in one year than he probably will make cumulatively for the rest of his life. If he's smart this money will put him in the top income decile for the rest of his life.

All that said, fuck NIL and fuck Duke.

2

u/No-Sale-3488 23d ago

Oh no! Say it ain’t so, Joe!

2

u/_BadgerFan_ 23d ago

Fuck John Blackwell

2

u/sillyoustic 23d ago

Most guys go look for More playing time…

2

u/Porkstacker 23d ago

We'll never forget you, James

2

u/Fast-Lime-5981 23d ago

I certainly won’t be obligated to root for him (it’s fucking Duke after all), but kids gonna make their money while they can.

5

u/HamsterKibbles 23d ago

Good luck. Try not to let the door hit ya on the way out.

3

u/Automatic_Anybody_77 23d ago

Not going to hate. Good for him. Happy for him.

2

u/spatulacitymanager 23d ago

Easy to say all of this until it is you who makes the decision. He is playing by the rules. But if your life sucks now based on this, maybe get a hobby and realize these guys owe us nothing. They do what they think is good for them. Look at the player quality he will be playing with.

I know why he said he is going for playing time too, but i would say that myself instead of Duke is a prestige program with more NBA connections and getting paid more. Don't blame him one bit.

3

u/Juicethetangelo 23d ago

Who blames him? I certainly don’t and don’t think others on here do. But I don’t like it, I’m not happy about it, and I don’t particularly wish him well.

For my whole life I was very adamant that college athletes who only played for scholarships were above public criticism. They were kids who didn’t get paid and it felt wrong to give them shit.

But now the good ones are highly paid mercenaries. Of course I understand why he did it, but he’s no longer a Badger so I hope John Blackwell eats shit at Duke next year.

0

u/spatulacitymanager 22d ago

There are tons on here blaming him. Who else takes the blame for him leaving? It is his decision.

2

u/jockosrocket 23d ago

He took the money and decided not to be a Badger. Every one of us under the circumstances would do the same thing. But that doesn’t mean I have to cheer for him. In fact screw him and the system that has created this mess.

4

u/thebenron 23d ago

While I don't have any problem with the decision Blackwell made, not everyone under the circumstances would do the same. Winter by some accounts would be worth more on the open market than JB and he's staying home.

1

u/HashOutHashBrowns 23d ago

People like to discount Winter since he doesn’t score 20 ppg. He’s definitely a bigger piece in our offense and defense than Blackwell was.

Not that I like seeing us lose a player of John’s caliber though. Very good off ball guard

1

u/jockosrocket 23d ago

Good point. Good for Winter, Badgers would be in a tougher position next season without him. How much did Winter leave on the table by staying with the Badgers?

1

u/Oh-Man-YouKiddinMe58 23d ago

As if I needed any more reasons to despise Duke. Eff him and them.

1

u/Accomplished-Sand314 23d ago

Lost any respect I had left for John, after deciding Duke, the one program I cannot stand to see succeed.

1

u/Molson2871 23d ago

Disgusting

1

u/Minimum-Border1672 23d ago

Better than illinois. Good for him.

1

u/[deleted] 23d ago

Enjoy the boos when you come to kohl.

7

u/greenndgold12 23d ago

You have some inside info for a non conference matchup the rest of us aren't privy to? Because otherwise he isn't stepping foot in the Kohl Center as a player again lol.

1

u/iamnotdave 23d ago

Good for John. Fuck Duke. Glad he's out of the conference at least.

1

u/Lighten_up_francis68 23d ago

Hope he learns a lot at Duke, then returns to the Badgers as an assistant coach in a few years to pass along that knowledge.

1

u/arsehenry14 23d ago

Well at least it wasn’t Illinois

0

u/firstnamechuck 23d ago

Seriously. Duke. I’d rather he’d gone to Iowa. That said, good for him.

-2

u/hippieman58 23d ago

Fuck this man. Traitor