Wisconsin has come out with some high-scoring performances to begin the year.
The Wisconsin Badgers have started off the season with some strong offensive performances, averaging 83.7 points through the first three games of the year, while shooting 47.3 percent from the field and 37 percent from deep.
It’s been a collective effort, as all five of Wisconsin’s starters have averaged at least 10 points per game.
But, at the forefront of it is wing John Tonje, the Missouri graduate transfer who has come out strong thus far, averaging 17.7 points and 5.3 rebounds per game, shooting 55.2 percent from the field and 38.5 percent from deep.
Tonje, who was limited to just eight games last year, had a strong fourth season at Colorado State, scoring 14.6 points per game on strong efficiency, providing optimism that he could be a spark coming to the Badgers.
However, given the number of returning pieces and the transition that Wisconsin was going through, it was unclear exactly how big of an impact the wing could have coming into the offseason.
Through two games, Tonje has been incredibly efficient, averaging the 17.7 points while taking just 9.7 shot attempts per game. That’s been in part due to his relentlessness attacking the rim, as the wing has taken nearly six free throw attempts per game, leading the Badgers, while hitting them at a 94.1 percent clip.
“I never put it on somebody to be a leading scorer,” head coach Greg Gard said on Tuesday. “Just come in and be the best version of yourself and play unselfishly. And I think we knew [Tonje] would be a really good fit. I felt just because I knew he got coached really well at Colorado State by Niko Medved. And his skill set fit what we needed. You know, he’s smart, he’s strong.”
Tonje’s addition has been in part due to the new wave of college basketball, as teams have coveted experience and maturity more often with the onslaught that is the transfer portal.
Wisconsin seeked a similar approach in the offseason, adding three transfers with solid experience to complement a roster that had three returning starters. Tonje was the biggest addition, as he really started to grow during training camp, showing his ability to flow well with the top unit and score at a high rate.
“Obviously he can shoot it. He’s pretty skilled,” Gard noted about the graduate transfer wing. “But, I think the biggest thing that jumps out to not only me, but our staff is just the maturity, and that’s the benefit. I’ve talked about that before the advantage of players through the portal that had experience in other places, the number one thing that rises to the top when you evaluate is just maturity and that comes from just having a lot of experience.”
“There’s not a lot that John hasn’t seen. I think you see that some with Xavier [Amos], you see that some with Cam Hunter. Just the advantage that players coming out of the portal have. And why would they not? They should be more experienced. Right. They should be more mature. They’ve been to college classes, they’ve transitioned away from home, they understand what it’s like to play in college and that it’s a big step up from high school regardless of where you come from or where you’re going to. So, if I could put it all in one word, it’s the maturity that you watch older players bring to the table that gives them maybe a leg up on younger players and freshmen.”
Tonje has been the spark Wisconsin has needed to replace top guard AJ Storr, who transferred to the Kansas Jayhawks this offseason.
But, Wisconsin has also looked to have a more balanced approach with their scoring, which has led to good efficiency and better consistency as games go along thus far.
When it comes to needing a bucket at the end of games though, Tonje could very well hear his name called alongside guards Max Klesmit and John Blackwell to lead the way for the Badgers, resembling Storr and former guard Chucky Hepburn in that way.