ESPN analyst praises Wisconsin men’s basketball freshmen

ESPN analyst Jay Bilas was impressed with freshman John Blackwell. The combo guard led the Badgers in points (17) and rebounds (seven) in the 98-73 loss at the McKale Center in Tucson, Arizona. While it was the most points the Badgers have allowed since they gave up 97 to Michigan State on March 11, 1995, Wisconsin (7-3) has a bright spot moving forward

“His athletic character is showing in this game,” Bilas, who played and was an assistant coach for Hall of Fame coach Mike Krzyzewski at Duke, said. “There has been at least one guy who has shown absolutely no quit in this game, and it’s John Blackwell. He’s been terrific.”

Blackwell, a 6-foot-4 combo guard from Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, hit a pair of early 3-pointers off defensive switches. The first was from the left wing and the second was from the right corner as Arizona tried to switch back, but Max Klesmit’s feed and Blackwell’s quick release sparked an 8-2 Badgers run that tied the game at 21 with 9 minutes, 46 seconds left in the half.

Then came the scoring drought as the Badgers went 2:56 between points and 6:30 between field goals during a 20-2 Arizona run. But it was Blackwell battling for a long rebound and feeding Klesmit for a 3 that led to praise from Bilas.

“Boy, is he a good player,” Bilas said. “You have to give credit to Blackwell, grabs the rebound and starts that break on his own.”

Blackwell was an elite 3-point shooter in his time at Brother Rice High School, where he played point guard alongside a pair of Division I classmates. He’s the son of Glynn Blackwell, who played for Illinois and gave John advice to keep getting stronger before stepping onto Wisconsin’s campus.

Not only is his strength an asset, so is his IQ. He played with a motor and energy consistent with an upperclassman, and…