Spartans Must Limit Wisconsin's Dominant PG

Michigan State gears up to face yet another high-caliber opponent this weekend, featuring one of the more elite scorers in the Big Ten this season. If the Spartans want to win their fifth straight, they must limit Badgers senior guard John Tonje.

Wisconsin Badgers guard John Tonje (9) drives past Purdue Boilermakers guard Myles Colvin (5) Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025, during the NCAA men’s basketball game at Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Ind. | Alex Martin/Journal and Courier / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The No. 8 Michigan State Spartans (23-5, 14-3) will have their hands full on Sunday when they host the No. 11 Wisconsin Badgers (22-6, 12-5) and one of the more prolific scorers in the Big Ten, senior guard John Tonje.

One of the hotter teams in the Big Ten, Wisconsin has won six of its last seven games and currently sits in second place in the Big Ten standings. They are nipping at the heels of a two-way tie for first place between the Spartans and No. 15 Michigan Wolverines (22-6, 14-3).

Tonje has been the driving force of this Badger team all year long and has shown an incredible ability to take over games and score at a high clip. He ranks fourth in the conference in points per game (19.5), shooting at 48% from the field. He has also recorded 30-plus points in four games this year.

The super senior is in his sixth year of college basketball and first season with the Badgers. He was a four-year player at Colorado State before playing just eight games in his lone season at Missouri a season ago. He is now making a case for Big Ten Player of the Year in his final collegiate season.

Simply put, if Tonje struggles, so do the Badgers. They are the fourth-highest scoring team in the Big Ten at 81.9 points per game. That means that Tonje accounts for one-fourth of their points each night as he averages just a tick under 20 per game. His limitation will be the Spartans' No. 1 priority.

Keeping the sixth-year senior on the perimeter and forcing him to shoot outside shots is going to be the Spartans' bread and butter. Despite shooting 38.9% from downtown, it still is Tonje's lowest percentage shot as he went 2-10 from beyond the arc in their latest loss to Oregon (20-8, 9-8).

Completely stopping Tonje from being a factor is highly unlikely as he has scored 20+ points in eight of his last 10 games. If the Spartans' suffocating defense can play a factor and keep him under that number, they will have a very good chance to beat one of the best teams in the conference.

Tip-off is set for 1:30 p.m. ET on Sunday at the Breslin Center. The Spartans will be seeking their fifth-straight win and fourth-consecutive against a ranked opponent. A win would also keep them a half-game above the pesky Wolverines, who continue to hang around.

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