Wisconsin Badgers guard John Blackwell (25) waves to the Purdue Boilermakers student section Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025, after the NCAA men’s basketball game at Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Ind. Wisconsin Badgers won 94-84. Alex Martin/Journal and Courier / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Spartans Must Stop Unpredictable Wisconsin Sophomore

Originally posted on Michigan State Spartans on SI
By Dominic Minchella | Last updated Mar 2, 2025 11:00 AM ET

The Michigan State Spartans face the Wisconsin Badgers in what is arguably the biggest game of the season for both programs up to this point. With a victory, MSU can officially eliminate Wisconsin from winning the Big Ten Title, but if the Spartans fall, the pressure is on for the final game of the season.

That being said, there are several players on the Badgers roster that the Spartans must be wary of. From lead point scorer John Tonje to rebound leader Nolan Winter, Wisconsin has the program to finish strong on the season. However, there is one unpredictable player that MSU has to keep its eye on to win.

Wisconsin sophomore guard John Blackwell should be highly circled off the game plan going into the clash on Monday. Blackwell is the second leader on the Badgers in average points per game behind Tonje and is also coming off of a strong performance that elevated Wisconsin to their most recent victory.

Blackwell scored 24 points against the Washington Huskies and even recorded 10 rebounds, earning him his first double-double on the season. Averaging just over 15 points per game, and especially after the game he had, MSU's defense will need to be all over Blackwell.

However, Blackwell has trends here and there where he can go cold, making him unpredictable. For example, the game before he dropped 24 points, he was a limited factor in the overtime loss to the Oregon Ducks, where he played 40 minutes and only scored 6 points in the losing effort.

The Spartans won't have to worry about Blackwell as a major threat from beyond the arc, as he holds a 34.1% success rate from deep. He still has the ability to drain those types of shots when they are needed, but Blackwell is not Wisconsin's primary 3-point shooter.

Where MSU will have to pay attention to Blackwell is anywhere under the bucket. Obtaining a season field goal percentage of 46.9%, Blackwell is exactly the type of player the ball goes to in those types of situations.

The rebounding game for MSU will need to be on high alert given the stakes this game holds, especially if the team has the ability to end its season against its in-state rivals, the Michigan Wolverines, for the Big Ten Title.

This article first appeared on Michigan State Spartans on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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