Greg Gard: John Blackwell has similar 'mindset' as Badgers great Johnny Davis

Gard thinks Blackwell could make a big jump for Wisconsin in year two.

Mar 22, 2024; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Wisconsin Badgers guard John Blackwell (25) reacts against the James Madison Dukes in the first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament at the Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Badgers guard John Blackwell quickly outperformed his three-star, 212th-ranked recruiting status last season as a true freshman. He averaged 8 points and 3.2 rebounds per game on 44.6/45.5/82.1 shooting splits in 18.5 minutes per game off the bench and was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team.

Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard has been thoroughly impressed with Blackwell's work ethic this offseason as he heads into his second season with the program. He compared his mindset to former Badgers star and NBA lottery pick Johnny Davis.

"He came back in June, he knew he was the best player on the floor...he wanted to dominate," Gard said. "I don't like to compare to the past, but Johnny came back with that same type of mentality as a sophomore."

Davis improved his scoring average from 7 to 19.7 points per game from his freshman to sophomore seasons. He had a very similar freshman campaign to Blackwell, coming off the bench in every single contest, and then won Big Ten Player of the Year honors as a sophomore.

Both players have similar skill sets as score-first, athletic combo guards. A meteoric rise like Davis made a few years ago is rare, but if Blackwell can average at least 10-12 points per game, it would be a big help for Wisconsin's 2024-25 outlook.

"They're completely different players, they're different physically, how they play. But, the mindset and approach to the game, the maturity level and the willingness and the want to be the best is pretty evident," Gard said. "I saw that with Johnny (Davis) and I see that with John (Blackwell) as well. I'm not saying he's going to be a lottery pick, don't put words in my mouth, it's just a competitive mindset to be the best on the floor."

Wisconsin's roster was hit hard this offseason when Chucky Hepburn and A.J. Storr transferred elsewhere and Tyler Wahl graduated from the program. Getting a big jump from Blackwell would help Badgers fans quickly forget about the portal chaos from the offseason.