Blackwell named to Jerry West Midseason Watch List
February 03, 2026 | Men's Basketball
Junior is one of two Big Ten guards on top-10 list
MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin men's basketball junior John Blackwell is one-of-10 players in the country named to the 2026 Jerry West Award Midseason Watch List, the Basketball Hall of Fame announced Tuesday.
The annual Jerry West Award celebrates its 12th year by highlighting the top shooting guards in Division I men's college basketball. Blackwell represents the Big Ten Conference alongside Illinois' Keaton Wagler as the conference's only player on the list.
A native of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, Blackwell is eighth in the Big Ten in scoring at 18.5 points, while adding 5 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. He is sixth in the conference with 2.6 three-pointers made per game, and has dropped 30 points in three contests this year - good for fifth-most in the nation.
Blackwell posted 19 points per game while aiding Bucky to a 7-2 record in January. He dropped 26 points in the upset win over No. 2 Michigan on Jan. 10, earning Naismith Player of the Week honors for his efforts. He followed it up with 27 points, 6 rebounds, and a game-winning buzzer-beater over Minnesota on Jan. 13. That performance, paired with his 19 points in a win over Rutgers, earned the junior Big Ten and Oscar Robertson Player of the Week Honors.
He earned his first Big Ten Player of the Week Award back on Dec. 8 after back-to-back wins, pouring in 26 points against Northwestern and 30 against Marquette in a four day span.
Blackwell and the Badgers return to action on Saturday when they travel to Indiana. Tipoff at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall is set for 11 a.m on FOX.
