John Blackwell ready to ‘do something special’ at Wisconsin
BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich. (BVM) – John Blackwell has been around basketball his entire life, and whether individual or collective, success has often followed him. In his senior season at Brother Rice High School, that has continued, as his team has dominated most of the competition it has played as a state championship favorite in Michigan.
“The main thing is to win a state championship,” Blackwell said. “If we don’t win it this year, it’s not going to happen. We are probably the favorites in the state to win it, so we got to win it this year.”
Helping the Warriors reach the elite level they are playing at is not only the 6-foot-3 senior guard, but also a pair of fellow Division I recruits in Curtis Williams Jr. and Xavier Thomas.
“I have two Mr. Basketball candidates on my team,” Blackwell said. “It’s fun playing with those guys, those are my brothers. Just knowing how they play … I’ve known those guys since like seventh, eighth grade, so just knowing how they want the ball, when they want it. We’re clicking, we’re playing more together this year.”
Brother Rice’s success also stems from the top, and the tremendous leadership they have received from head coach Rick Palmer, who Blackwell describes as a “player’s coach.”
“Palmer has helped me in a lot of ways, especially basketball knowledge wise, because he’s coached a lot of pros, and he’s been with a lot of major college guys,” Blackwell said. “He’s given me a lot of knowledge off the court, too, just stuff I’ve got to work on. He’s put me in every right position that I want to be in.”
Blackwell has had some special individual moments throughout his high school career, with one of the most notable coming earlier this season as he became a 1,000-point scorer.
Congrats to Warrior senior @_Johnblackwell1 on reaching 1000 points tonight!! Great milestone and more to do!! pic.twitter.com/d7z0s1rOyb
— Jeff Calcaterra (@RiceADCoachCal) January 4, 2023
“It felt great getting that 1,000th point,” Blackwell said. “All I can do is thank my teammates for trusting me with the ball, letting me score the 1,000 points. I thank Novi Christian too, and everybody who I played with at that school.”
While the individual success is nice, the main goal for both Blackwell and the Warriors remains winning both a Catholic High School League title and an MHSAA state championship. That goal was the same last year in Blackwell’s second season with Brother Rice after transferring from Novi Christian, one they ultimately fell short on despite a good season in which Blackwell averaged around 13 points, five rebounds and four assists while shooting 49% from 3-point range – the highest percentage among high school players in Michigan – as an all-state performer.
“Last season, the main goal was to win a state championship,” Blackwell said. “That’s always been the main goal … Develop a relationship with my teammates and try to do something special at that school that hasn’t been done in a while.”
The conclusion of the 2022-23 season could be a special one for Blackwell and his teammates, and a deep postseason run will only add to what is already an impressive young career on the hardwood for the senior guard.
While he played multiple sports growing up and even dabbled into soccer during his freshman year of high school, Blackwell’s passion has always lied with basketball. As he began playing more AAU and travel basketball in his middle school years, Blackwell got more serious with the game. He also had a tremendous mentor throughout his youth in the late Tony Tolbert, a local basketball legend who passed away from COVID-19 in 2021.
“It was really an emotional thing,” Blackwell mentioned. “He taught me how to be a hooper.”
Continuing to get stronger in the weight room while modeling his game in a similar style to that of John Wall and Jrue Holiday, Blackwell has developed as a playmaker, leader, and player that displays immense passion every time he takes the court. Some of those qualities also stem from his father, Glynn Blackwell, who played college basketball at Illinois from 1984-88.
“My No. 1 role model is my dad,” John said. “I look up to him from a basketball standpoint, what he’s been through and the level he played at.
“I’ve learned a lot. Most of my basketball knowledge has come from him. I learn probably something new every week basketball wise. But he’s not always talking about basketball. He’s talking about life, leadership, skills and all that. He’s definitely my mentor on and off the court.”
Glynn is not the only athlete John has been able to look up to in his family, as his uncle played college football at Michigan, while his cousin was also a college athlete at Minnesota. However, one of his biggest role models also comes off the court: his mom, Jillian.
“My mom has definitely shown me there are no handouts, you have to go get it yourself,” John said. “She’s one of the hardest workers I know.”
Like Glynn, John knew from a young age he wanted to play college basketball someday. In eighth grade, he already took the first step to making that happen, receiving his first college offer from Eastern Michigan.
“From there, I knew I could do something special with it,” John noted.
The 6-foot-3 standout began playing varsity basketball at Novi Christian as an eighth grader, and continued to adapt to the high school game as a freshman in 2019-20 as his team’s primary scorer.
“It was kind of an adjustment,” John said. “I played varsity basketball when I was in eighth grade because my school allowed it, so I was kind of used to it already, but it was way more physical.”
His success there combined with what he accomplished after transferring to Brother Rice only earned John more looks. Eventually, he received an offer from a Power 5 school: the University of Wisconsin. Before long, the talented guard was sold on becoming a Badger.
Committed🤝 @BadgerMBB pic.twitter.com/z9FZeVVwjl
— John Blackwell (@_Johnblackwell1) April 15, 2022
“The trust they had in me,” John said about what sold him on Wisconsin. “They were the first ones to offer me for a Power 5 [school]. They kept it real throughout the whole process.”
Part of John’s decision also came down to his relationship with the coaching staff, including head coach Greg Gard, and assistant coach Sharif Chambliss, a former Badgers guard himself who was the main recruiter of the Brother Rice senior.
“Our relationship is really good,” John said. “Especially with Coach Chambliss, he’s the guy that was recruiting me. Funny guy, welcoming guy, great personality.
“Me and Coach Gard’s relationship is great. We talk just about life when he calls me and I go see him. I’ve been up there a lot.”
Not only has John been able to build a strong relationship with the coaching staff, but he has also grown close to the players around the program, past, present and future. In one of his first trips to Madison for a workout, John impressed many, and earned a stamp of approval from longtime Badgers guard Brad Davison, and 2021-22 Big Ten Player of the Year Johnny Davis.
“I think that was my first time going up there,” John said. “Coach told me we were going to play open gym … I think I had the first bucket, I think I hit a three. And then later down the line, I caught an alley-oop with one hand. I was just hooping up there. The guys felt like I was ready. They thought I played with confidence and they could use a guy like me.”
Meanwhile, John has also formed relationships with members of what is a strong 2023 class for the Badgers that includes fellow top-200 commits in four-star Gus Yalden and three-star Nolan Winter, as well as preferred walk-on Jack Janicki.
#Badgers 2023 recruiting class in the house. pic.twitter.com/er96N7Zxvc
— Evan Flood (@Evan_Flood) September 10, 2022
Adding to a young core at Wisconsin currently that includes the likes of Chucky Hepburn and Connor Essegian, John thinks the sky’s the limit for what the Badgers can accomplish over the next few years.
“I think we can really do something special,” John said. “Me, Nolan, Gus, we can all be impact freshmen. We bring a dynamic three, and then we also have a walk-on, Jack Janicki from Minnesota, which is really a steal in my opinion. I played Jack. Jack is really good, I’m excited to play alongside him. I played Gus too. Gus is just a really great guy, his game is really unique.
“I think we can definitely do something special at Wisconsin. Try to win the Big Ten title and push for the national. That’s definitely a big goal of mine, to push for a national championship.”
John has big goals for his time in Madison, but his basketball dreams do not stop there. Eventually, he hopes to take things a step further, and feels he has what it takes to reach the NBA down the road.
“I definitely think my basketball life after college is going to take me to the NBA,” John said. “I have all the right tools. I just need to stay focused, stay locked in … It’s on me. That’s definitely my goal.”
However, college basketball will come first. For some time, following his dad’s path as a collegiate player, and also as a guard in the Big Ten, has been on his radar. In just a few months, John will make that a reality at Wisconsin.
“It’s a blessing,” John said. “I’m thankful for the opportunity to play in the Big Ten just like my dad.”
