Despite a stagnant showing in the Big Ten title game, when the Wisconsin Badgers mustered only 53 points in their loss to Michigan, the offense has been dominant virtually the entire season.
Fourth in the conference at 79.7 PPG, the Badgers paced their peers in three-pointers made contest, 9.9 on 28.4 attempts (34.9%). In free throw percentage (82.8%), they led the nation.
Captain of their electric attack, senior John Tonje averaged a career-high 19.2 points and 5.3 rebounds on 46.2/38.8/90.8% shooting splits.
In his sixth season of college ball, the 23-year-old Omaha, Nebraska native finally found a home. Completing his improbable turnaround from Mountain West unknown to power-5 leader, his performance earned him a spot in the All-American Second Team released early Tuesday afternoon.
John Tonje Completes Longshot Journey from No-Name to All-American with Wisconsin Badgers
Tonje spent the first four years of his college career at Colorado State, peaking in 2022-23 when he averaged 14.6 points for the Rams on 47.3% from the floor and 38.9% on threes. He then transferred to Missouri, moving from the Mountain West to the SEC and giving himself a better opportunity to shine in the national spotlight.
But a broken foot kept him sidelined for all but 8 games as a Tiger. He was granted a medical redshirt season for 2023-24, allowing him a sixth year of eligibility, which he chose to spend in Wisconsin. And the Badgers are glad he did.
Tonje has enjoyed a breakout year in every sense, an inspiring comeback from season-ending injury. While his age makes him an unlikely draft selection, he could play his way onto an NBA roster as an undrafted free agent or via the G League. His skillset has taken leaps and bounds in 2024-25.
Along with sophomore John Blackwell (15.5 PPG, 5.1 RPG), Tonje has led Wisconsin to a 3-seed in the NCAA tournament, where the Badgers will face Montana in the first round on Thursday. Needless to say, they wouldn’t be here without him.
Efficient Engine Behind Badgers’ Big Ten Tournament Run
In the Big Ten Tournament, Tonje played a central role in not one, but two record-breaking feats. In the quarterfinal against UCLA, his 6-6 mark from beyond the arc contributed to a historic 12-12 performance between Tonje, Steven Crowl and Kamari McGee (he and Crowl each went 3-3).
In the semifinal, he scored a conference tourney record 32 points as Wisconsin took down Michigan State. “This team believes in me,” he said afterward, a convincingly cinematic plotline driving his underdog success story.
He couldn’t keep the magic going against the Wolverines in the finale, one of his worst performances of the season–1-14 for 9 points, and none in the first half–but after all the heavy lifting he did earlier in the tournament, it’s hard to blame him if he simply ran out of fuel. After playing four games in four days, the entire team could use a recovery period before the round of 64.
Also named All-America second team were Texas Tech’s JT Toppin and Memphis’ PJ Haggery, fellow transfers before this season, and two representatives from the Big East: St. John’s RJ Luis and Marquette’s Kam Jones.
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