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Wisconsin basketball's success during the 2024-25 season can be partially attributed to the emergence of transfer wing John Tonje.
The former Missouri and Colorado State wing joined the Badgers with little expectations -- he played just eight games with Missouri in 2023-24, averaging 9.8 minutes and 2.6 points. While he excelled at Colorado State the year prior (31.3 minutes, 14.6 points and 4.7 rebounds per game), it was hard to project exactly what he'd bring to the Badgers lineup.
That context, paired with Wisconsin seeing stars Chucky Hepburn and A.J. Storr each depart to the transfer portal after the 2023-24 season, made it so the team had more questions than answers entering the year.
As Badger fans know, Tonje answered those questions and then some. He quickly emerged as one of the best scorers in the sport, let alone in just the Big Ten. That included an early 41-point game in a big win over Arizona and 33 in a win over Pittsburgh. It continued into Big Ten play with signature performances against Purdue and Illinois, then against UCLA and Michigan State in the conference tournament.
In all, Tonje averaged 31.1 minutes, 19.6 points and 5.3 rebounds while shooting 46.5% from the field, 39% from 3 and 91% from the free-throw line. His 724 points finished just eight shy of Wisconsin's single-season record.
With that top-end success leading one of the best teams in the country, how does Tonje's game translate to the NBA? With just under three months remaining until the draft, here is an updated look at the Wisconsin star's draft stock.
ESPN draft insiders Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo recently updated their 2025 NBA draft big board (subscription required) after the first few rounds of the NCAA Tournament. Tonje currently sits at No. 52 on the 100-player big board, in the range of a bottom-tier second-round pick.
Woo writes that the Wisconsin star's stock rose in March, both in the Big Ten and NCAA Tournaments.
As noted, Tonje was a sixth-year senior in 2024-25. College basketball sees its pro-quality prospects take early jumps to the league. Therefore, it's extremely rare that fifth and sixth-year seniors suddenly improve enough to become pro-ready. Tonje should be an interesting test case for that scenario, as it will be challenging for a veteran transfer to replicate his career arc and All-American final season.
Woo continues on Tonje's makeup and how his game may translate to the next level.
In summary, Tonje's 2024-25 production and offensive skill set should be enough to get him selected somewhere in the draft's second round. The bigger question will be his ability to stick on a roster long-term, or if his game would be a better fit overseas.
The 2025 NBA draft will take place at 8 p.m. ET on June 25. Tonje will look to become the first former Badger drafted since Johnny Davis went No. 10 overall in 2022.
Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion
This article originally appeared on Badgers Wire: Wisconsin basketball John Tonje NBA draft projection and analysis
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The former Missouri and Colorado State wing joined the Badgers with little expectations -- he played just eight games with Missouri in 2023-24, averaging 9.8 minutes and 2.6 points. While he excelled at Colorado State the year prior (31.3 minutes, 14.6 points and 4.7 rebounds per game), it was hard to project exactly what he'd bring to the Badgers lineup.
That context, paired with Wisconsin seeing stars Chucky Hepburn and A.J. Storr each depart to the transfer portal after the 2023-24 season, made it so the team had more questions than answers entering the year.
As Badger fans know, Tonje answered those questions and then some. He quickly emerged as one of the best scorers in the sport, let alone in just the Big Ten. That included an early 41-point game in a big win over Arizona and 33 in a win over Pittsburgh. It continued into Big Ten play with signature performances against Purdue and Illinois, then against UCLA and Michigan State in the conference tournament.
In all, Tonje averaged 31.1 minutes, 19.6 points and 5.3 rebounds while shooting 46.5% from the field, 39% from 3 and 91% from the free-throw line. His 724 points finished just eight shy of Wisconsin's single-season record.
With that top-end success leading one of the best teams in the country, how does Tonje's game translate to the NBA? With just under three months remaining until the draft, here is an updated look at the Wisconsin star's draft stock.
An updated look at Wisconsin star John Tonje's NBA draft stock
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ESPN draft insiders Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo recently updated their 2025 NBA draft big board (subscription required) after the first few rounds of the NCAA Tournament. Tonje currently sits at No. 52 on the 100-player big board, in the range of a bottom-tier second-round pick.
Woo writes that the Wisconsin star's stock rose in March, both in the Big Ten and NCAA Tournaments.
As noted, Tonje was a sixth-year senior in 2024-25. College basketball sees its pro-quality prospects take early jumps to the league. Therefore, it's extremely rare that fifth and sixth-year seniors suddenly improve enough to become pro-ready. Tonje should be an interesting test case for that scenario, as it will be challenging for a veteran transfer to replicate his career arc and All-American final season.
Woo continues on Tonje's makeup and how his game may translate to the next level.
In summary, Tonje's 2024-25 production and offensive skill set should be enough to get him selected somewhere in the draft's second round. The bigger question will be his ability to stick on a roster long-term, or if his game would be a better fit overseas.
The 2025 NBA draft will take place at 8 p.m. ET on June 25. Tonje will look to become the first former Badger drafted since Johnny Davis went No. 10 overall in 2022.
Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion
This article originally appeared on Badgers Wire: Wisconsin basketball John Tonje NBA draft projection and analysis
Continue reading...
