Wisconsin basketball took a hit before this season through the transfer portal. The Badgers lost Connor Essegian, Chucky Hepburn, and AJ Storr to the portal, and that’s a lot of firepower. What Greg Gard was able to do? Add the perfect fit to Wisconsin basketball in John Tonje ,who showed exactly who he was in the team’s gritty 81-75 comeback win against Pittsburgh.
Greenbrier Tip-Off Champs‼️🏆 pic.twitter.com/K2ZEfFz6pg
— Wisconsin Basketball (@BadgerMBB) November 25, 2024
John Tonje is Right At Home with the Badgers
Tonje came to Wisconsin basketball through the transfer portal, which has seen increased movement due to NIL rules. While the Badgers did feel the effects of the new landscape of college basketball, they also were able to reap some rewards from it.
The sixth-year transfer has spent the majority of his college career with Colorado State. He spent one season in Missouri that was marred with injuries, and ended with him applying for a medical redshirt. Tonje entered the transfer portal, and now he’s found a home with the Badgers, and he’s here to win:
“And I think they’ve embraced me and the city’s embraced me. I’m just doing everything I can to compete for the name on the front of the jersey.”
He’s showing just how much he wants to compete for Wisconsin basketball with his performance this season, including in the team’s most recent win. Tonje dropped 33 points on Pitt, including 25 points in the second half, with the Badgers storming back to take the Greenbrier Tip-Off from Pitt. Tonje spoke of wanting to show Wisconsin who he is and that even with a short amount of time here, he’s ready to make an impact:
“I only have a limited amount of time here” Tonje said. “But I just want my teammates to know that I’m here to build life-long relationships.”
PTS: 33
FG: 11-19
FT: 10-10John Tonje’s second 30+ night of the season fueled No. 19 @BadgerMBB‘s comeback over Pitt in the Greenbrier Tip-Off final 💥 #B1GMBBall pic.twitter.com/j0VEhGDDIk
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) November 25, 2024
Greg Gard Talks the Fit for John Tonje with Wisconsin Basketball
The Wisconsin guard is making a name for himself on the court, and head coach Greg Gard is noticing a different kind of feel to the senior:
“It’s like he’s been here four years,” Gard said. “I mean he’s fit in perfectly with the culture because he’s a really good person and cares about his team. He cares about winning.”
John Tonje was overlooked during this transfer season, and after coming off that injury-plagued season, he and Greg Gard are proving the analysts wrong. Tonje is 3rd in the Big Ten and 22nd in the nation with 21.3 PPG. He’s shooting 53.2% from the field and sinking 44.4% of threes he’s attempted.
By all accounts, Wisconsin basketball has found a spark plug to their current run of success that has seen UW dropping 87.8 PPG, and have started the season 7-0. Tonje, for his part, is hoping for sustained success and to leave his mark with the Badgers, even if it’s for a short time:
“I want this to be the place I come back to and visit after I’m done playing in college,” Tonje said. “I want this to be my home after.”
