Wisconsin basketball needs consistent John Tonje to 'reach a high level'
The Wisconsin basketball team needs John Tonje to be a more consistent version of himself if the Badgers are going to reach their ceiling.
Greg Gard and the Wisconsin basketball team are sitting at 10-3 overall after wrapping up nonconference play as KenPom’s No. 33 team.
A key factor in their success has been graduate transfer John Tonje, who has seamlessly stepped into a featured role and shouldered much of the scoring load left behind when A.J. Storr entered the transfer portal this past offseason.
Thus far, Tonje has emerged as one of the Big Ten’s best offensive players, ranking fourth in the conference in scoring at 19.2 points per game while contributing 5.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists. He's shooting 45.5% from the floor and 37.1% from beyond the arc.
His ability to get to the free-throw line has been a valuable weapon that most didn't see coming, as he leads the NCAA in free-throw percentage at 94% (94-for-100) and ranks 2nd nationally in made free throws.
That efficiency has been vital to Wisconsin’s offensive success, with the Badgers currently leading the country in free-throw percentage at 85.1%. It's helped them register the nation’s No. 15 adjusted offensive efficiency.
The North Omaha, Nebraska native currently has a PRPG (points above replacement per game) of 4.8, according to Bartorvik, while doing so with a 28% usage rate. For context, Storr, who Tonje effectively replaced in the Badgers lineup, carried a slightly higher usage rate last season (29%) but was far less efficient, finishing with a 106.4 offensive rating and a 3.7 PRPG.
By comparison, Tonje’s 119.3 offensive rating shows just how much more impactful he’s been in filling that void in a leading role.
Tonje’s breakout performance against No. 9 Arizona, where he scored 41 points, the fourth most in program history, on 8-of-14 shooting and an incredible 21-of-22 from the charity stripe, showcased the scoring punch he can bring when he’s at his best. But consistency remains a question.
Against Detroit Mercy, Tonje finished with nine points, four rebounds, and three assists, marking the first time this season he failed to reach double figures. Over the past four games (Marquette, Illinois, Butler, and Detroit Mercy), the 6-foot-5 wing has averaged 12 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.5 assists while shooting just 30% from the floor. His efficiency has dipped, and turnovers have crept in, averaging four per game during that stretch.
Coach Gard isn’t panicking but knows the clock is ticking to address these issues.
“The biggest thing is playing off two feet. When he [Tonje] does it, even in practice, he’s really efficient, and he gets fouled,” Gard said after the Detroit Mercy game. “When he doesn’t, we see the results.
“We have a short window here to get him a better habit in that part of his game. I don’t have four years to work with him to really build a habit. We've got to do it in short order. But credit to him is that he’s receptive. He's done it off one foot for so long, and this is the highest level he's played at. He's got to get better at it. He’s got to understand scouting reports are out now. He’s not sneaking up on anybody.
“We need him to continue to be more efficient," Gard noted. "If this team’s going to really reach a high level, we have to have him at a high level, more consistently.”
Wisconsin is averaging 81.5 points per game as a team—the most for the Badgers since 1971-72 and leads the Big Ten in made free throws per game (19.3). Tonje’s ability to draw fouls and convert from the line (7.2 makes per game) has been central to that success, but he’ll need to pick his spots better and find ways to stay efficient in Big Ten play.
If Tonje can rediscover the form that made him one of the conference’s top scorers earlier in the season, Wisconsin’s high-powered offense could take another step forward. Coach Gard and his staff know that this team’s identity has to be built around its offensive if they’re going to surpass their 12th-place preseason prediction and finish higher in the Big Ten standings.
The Badgers are back in action on Friday, Jan. 3, hosting Iowa (9-3) at the Kohl Center. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. CT, with the game airing on FS1.
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