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The Wisconsin Badgers are set to look much different when they next take the court in game action.
UW, which compiled a 27-10 overall record during the 2024-25 regular and postseason, fell 91-89 to No. 6-seed BYU in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday night. Star wing John Tonje, a unanimous First-Team All-Big Ten selection, dropped 37 points, four rebounds and four assists in the loss.
The defeat concluded Tonje's impressive single season with the program, one that saw him come close to Frank Kaminsky's single-season scoring record. As the undisputed No. 1 option for the Badgers, Tonje averaged 19.6 points, 5.3 boards and 1.8 assists off 46.5% from the field, 38.8% from deep and 90.9% from the free throw line. His output netted Naismith College Player of the Year semifinalist honors and an All-America Second-Team distinction.
Aside from Tonje, the loss also wrapped the collegiate tenures of several other notable Badger playmakers, including guard Max Klesmit and center Steven Crowl.
Unlike Tonje, the two depart from UW following lengthy tenures with the program. Crowl began his journey in Madison during the 2020-21 slate, playing five total seasons under Greg Gard. In 153 career games, he averaged 9.6 points, 5.6 rebounds and two assists in 25.6 minutes per game. He chalked up 9.5 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.5 helpers in 25.4 minutes per appearance as a senior.
Klesmit, a native of Neenah, Wisconsin, played three seasons in Madison after transferring from Wofford in 2022. As a senior, he accounted for 9.7 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game off 35.3% from the floor and 28.6% from outside. He averaged 9.4 points, 2.4 boards and two assists per game in 102 career starts under Gard.
Fan favorite bench contributors Carter Gilmore and Kamari McGee are also set to depart after the 2024-25 season. Gilmore played in all 37 games this season and made significant impacts in important moments, specifically against Michigan State in the Big Ten Tournament semifinal (10 points, five rebounds, five assists) and Northwestern in February (15 second-half points).
McGee, a steadying presence in the locker room and huddle, recorded 6.5 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game off the bench in his most impressive season as a Badger.
Finally, senior forward Markus Ilver is also set to graduate after appearing in just 73 games with the program.
Those departures leave guard John Blackwell and forward/center Nolan Winter as the faces of the program next season. UW's bench, which features guard Daniel Freitag, Camren Hunter, Jack Janicki and Jack Robison, is deep but young. Gard and his staff will certainly look to the portal to address glaring needs, such as a reliable wing and a new No. 1 option in the painted area.
Tonje arrived in Madison from the portal, but that type of acquisition will be extremely difficult to replicate this spring. Still, the Badgers' culture and consistency make the program an attractive option for a player looking to burst onto the national scene as a No. 1 scoring option.
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 roster update seniors 2024-25 season
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UW, which compiled a 27-10 overall record during the 2024-25 regular and postseason, fell 91-89 to No. 6-seed BYU in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday night. Star wing John Tonje, a unanimous First-Team All-Big Ten selection, dropped 37 points, four rebounds and four assists in the loss.
The defeat concluded Tonje's impressive single season with the program, one that saw him come close to Frank Kaminsky's single-season scoring record. As the undisputed No. 1 option for the Badgers, Tonje averaged 19.6 points, 5.3 boards and 1.8 assists off 46.5% from the field, 38.8% from deep and 90.9% from the free throw line. His output netted Naismith College Player of the Year semifinalist honors and an All-America Second-Team distinction.
Aside from Tonje, the loss also wrapped the collegiate tenures of several other notable Badger playmakers, including guard Max Klesmit and center Steven Crowl.
Unlike Tonje, the two depart from UW following lengthy tenures with the program. Crowl began his journey in Madison during the 2020-21 slate, playing five total seasons under Greg Gard. In 153 career games, he averaged 9.6 points, 5.6 rebounds and two assists in 25.6 minutes per game. He chalked up 9.5 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.5 helpers in 25.4 minutes per appearance as a senior.
Klesmit, a native of Neenah, Wisconsin, played three seasons in Madison after transferring from Wofford in 2022. As a senior, he accounted for 9.7 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game off 35.3% from the floor and 28.6% from outside. He averaged 9.4 points, 2.4 boards and two assists per game in 102 career starts under Gard.
Fan favorite bench contributors Carter Gilmore and Kamari McGee are also set to depart after the 2024-25 season. Gilmore played in all 37 games this season and made significant impacts in important moments, specifically against Michigan State in the Big Ten Tournament semifinal (10 points, five rebounds, five assists) and Northwestern in February (15 second-half points).
McGee, a steadying presence in the locker room and huddle, recorded 6.5 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game off the bench in his most impressive season as a Badger.
Finally, senior forward Markus Ilver is also set to graduate after appearing in just 73 games with the program.
Those departures leave guard John Blackwell and forward/center Nolan Winter as the faces of the program next season. UW's bench, which features guard Daniel Freitag, Camren Hunter, Jack Janicki and Jack Robison, is deep but young. Gard and his staff will certainly look to the portal to address glaring needs, such as a reliable wing and a new No. 1 option in the painted area.
Tonje arrived in Madison from the portal, but that type of acquisition will be extremely difficult to replicate this spring. Still, the Badgers' culture and consistency make the program an attractive option for a player looking to burst onto the national scene as a No. 1 scoring option.
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 roster update seniors 2024-25 season
Continue reading...
