All Badgers

How every former Wisconsin Badger performed in this year's NBA Summer League

Three former Wisconsin Badgers took the court during NBA Summer League, and John Tonje, Steven Crowl and Chucky Hepburn all had their own struggles.
Lorin Cox|
Jul 14, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Utah Jazz forward John Tonje (17) drives towards the basket against San Antonio Spurs forward Carter Bryant (11) during the first half of a NBA basketball game at the Thomas & Mack Center.
Jul 14, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Utah Jazz forward John Tonje (17) drives towards the basket against San Antonio Spurs forward Carter Bryant (11) during the first half of a NBA basketball game at the Thomas & Mack Center. | Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images

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Wisconsin Badgers

The NBA Summer League wrapped up this weekend, and Wisconsin Badgers fans got to see three of their team's former players take the court for their first professional basketball action.

John Tonje was a second-round pick by the Utah Jazz, but he missed their first few games as he recovered from an ankle injury.

Teammate Steven Crowl followed him to Utah on an Exhibition 10 contract, but he had trouble cracking the rotation on the Jazz's Summer League roster.

Former Badgers guard Chucky Hepburn also went undrafted after his final year transferring to Louisville, but he signed a two-way deal with the Toronto Raptors and came off the bench this summer.

Because of the injury, Tonje played in only two games for the Jazz, scoring 20 points in 45 minutes of action as a starter. He shot well in his debut but then proceeded to go 1-for-9 in his second contest, bringing down his average significantly.

Crowl only made it on the court for two games of his own, listed as a "DNP - Coach's Decision" for the others. He hit one shot and recorded five rebounds in 20 minutes off the bench.

Hepburn had a more complete Summer League experience, with five games for the Raptors. He averaged just under four points per game off the bench, struggling with shooting 23 percent from the field.

He still made an impact as a distributor with over three assists per game, but he also recorded more than four fouls per game.

Overall, it was not a strong showing from the newest former Badgers entering the NBA, but a few games in the summer won't make-or-break their professional careers.

Still it's going to be an uphill battle for all of them to make a regular season roster, and their futures could start in the G-League or overseas instead.

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Lorin Cox
LORIN COX

Lorin Cox is the managing editor of Wisconsin Badgers on SI. He has been covering Badgers sports since 2014, when he was an undergraduate at the University of Wisconsin. He previously wrote for the Wisconsin State Journal, NBC Sports Chicago and USA Today Sports Media Group, and he is a former analyst for Pro Football Focus.

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