Michigan State's Izzo Regrets Not Recruiting Wisconsin Star Blackwell

Badgers guard John Blackwell has emerged as one of the top players in the Big Ten, leaving Spartans coach Tom Izzo wishing he had another chance at recruiting him.

Published on Feb. 12, 2026

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Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo admitted he regrets not recruiting Wisconsin guard John Blackwell harder coming out of high school. Blackwell, a native of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, was a lightly recruited three-star prospect who ended up committing to Wisconsin early in his junior year. Izzo said he and his assistants missed on Blackwell, who has blossomed into one of the top players in the Big Ten and given the Spartans trouble in recent matchups.

Why it matters

Izzo is one of the most successful coaches in college basketball history, but even he has a few recruiting misses he wishes he could have back. Blackwell has proven to be a standout player for the Badgers, and his success against Michigan State makes him one that got away for the Spartans. This story highlights the challenges even elite programs face in identifying and landing top talent, especially when a player commits early in the recruiting process.

The details

Blackwell, a 6-foot-4 guard, was a three-star recruit coming out of high school with his only power conference offer coming from Wisconsin. Izzo said he and his staff saw Blackwell play but didn't focus on him until it was too late, as Blackwell had already committed to the Badgers. Blackwell has gone on to become a standout player for Wisconsin, averaging 18.7 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game this season as a junior. He has also had success against Michigan State, leading the Badgers to a 3-1 record against the Spartans in his career, including a win over the then-top-ranked Spartans in last season's Big Ten Tournament.

  • Blackwell committed to Wisconsin in the spring of his junior year of high school.
  • Blackwell is currently in his junior season at Wisconsin, averaging career-highs in points, rebounds and assists.

The players

Tom Izzo

The longtime head coach of the Michigan State Spartans, one of the most successful coaches in college basketball history.

John Blackwell

A 6-foot-4 junior guard for the Wisconsin Badgers who has emerged as one of the top players in the Big Ten conference.

Glynn Blackwell

The father of John Blackwell, who played at Illinois and attended Brother Rice High School.

Sharif Chambliss

An assistant coach at Wisconsin who is the uncle of John Blackwell and runs the AAU program 'The Family' that produced Blackwell.

Jaden Akins

A guard who Michigan State signed in the recruiting cycle prior to when they could have recruited Blackwell.

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What they’re saying

“I'd like to fire all my assistants, who went through that with me. The problem is, the head coach went down and saw him, too.”

— Tom Izzo, Head Coach, Michigan State Spartans (on3.com)

“Everything about Blackwell, I like. Family, where he played. I liked the fact he didn't need the dating process to be forever. He knew what he wanted. He didn't know how it would turn out at Wisconsin and I don't think they did.”

— Tom Izzo, Head Coach, Michigan State Spartans (on3.com)

“Blackwell, to me, is a special player in this league, and a guy who's gonna play basketball a lot when he's done (at Wisconsin), because of size, strength, smarts. He just kind of controls the game his own way.”

— Tom Izzo, Head Coach, Michigan State Spartans (on3.com)

What’s next

Michigan State and Wisconsin will face off on Friday at the Kohl Center, giving Izzo another chance to see Blackwell in action against his team.

The takeaway

Even one of the most accomplished coaches in college basketball history has recruiting misses he regrets, highlighting the challenges of identifying and landing top talent, especially when a player commits early in the process. Blackwell's success at Wisconsin shows the value of programs being able to identify and develop lightly recruited prospects.