The Wisconsin Badgers surprising 2024-25 season came to a disappointing end over the weekend with their loss to BYU in the Round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament. But while fans may be upset over yet another early exit, it is hard to realistically call this season a failure.
Going into the year, Greg Gard’s Badgers were predicted to finish 12th in the Big Ten. But instead of finishing so low, Wisconsin went 13-4 in conference play (27-10 overall), and finished fourth in the standings. Additionally, they appeared in the Finals of the Big Ten Tournament.
Instead of disappointing, one could say they actually overachieved.
The Wisconsin Badgers Were Led by John Tonje All Season Long
All season long, it was clear that the best player on Wisconsin’s roster was John Tonje, whom Gard recruited from the transfer portal during the offseason. Prior to this past year, Tonje played four seasons at Colorado State and one year at Missouri.
But he never saw the level of success at those schools that he experienced at Wisconsin.
This year, Tonje earned Second Team All-American honors by averaging 19.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game. He also shot 47/39/91 from the floor.
It was clear early that Tonje was going to special for the Badgers, but his performance against Arizona in the fourth game of the season had everyone excited for what was to come. In that game, he poured in 41 points while shooting 8-14 from the field (he was 4-6 from three). He also made 21 of his 22 free throw attempts in that game.
Indeed, the 2024-25 Wisconsin season was decorated by incredible Tonje performances. Even in their final loss to BYU, he put of a school record for points scored in an NCAA Tournament game with 37.
Wisconsin Badgers Fans React to John Tonje’s Emotional Goodbye
Having completed his sixth season of college basketball, Tonje has no eligibility remaining. Not only will he not be returning to Wisconsin, he will not be playing anywhere unless he gets drafted or signed by an NBA team (or other professional league).
On Monday, he posted the following message to Badgers fans:
Thank you Wisconsin❤️All Glory to God for this life changing experience!! pic.twitter.com/1pClfwg038
— John Tonje (@johntonje1) March 24, 2025
And as appreciative as Tonje is of Wisconsin, fans are just as appreciative of him:
It was an honor to watch you! You’ll find out that once a badger always a badger#OnWisconsin
— JB (@lessthanjb) March 24, 2025
Awesome year and thank you!! Hope to see you in a Bucks uniform in the fall
— MJCCFA (@MikefromWisky) March 24, 2025
Thank you, John Tonje, for bringing pure joy and happiness to millions of Badger fans across the world. Students, fans, and alumni will never forget your hard work and commitment to Wisconsin Basketball. 🏀 You are a winner on the court and in life!
— Jeff Ostach☮️ (@jeff_ostach) March 24, 2025
1 year, and you go down as one of the greatest badgers of all time. Thanks for choosing us, we sure are lucky to have been able to watch you. 🐐🐐🐐
— DeputyDong 🔴 🦡 🦡 ⚪ 🇺🇲🇺🇲 (@Derek86EC) March 24, 2025
Current predictions are that Tonje is a possible second round pick in the upcoming NBA Draft. Hopefully he does get selected and Badgers fans continue watching his career from afar.
More Wisconsin Badgers Basketball News from Wisconsin Sports Heroics
- NFL and Badgers Great JJ Watt Picks on BYU Player’s Family History
- Badgers Coach Greg Guard on 2nd Half Technical: “The Official Couldn’t Tell Me What Was Said”
- “I Was Nervous;” BYU Legend Reacts to Win Over Wisconsin
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