NBA Draft: Wisconsin's John Tonje's Hot Start Has Him in Draft Conversations

The No. 20 Wisconsin Badgers currently sit at 8-2 on the season, following back-to-back losses to Michigan and Marquette. This strong start is due in no small part to the significant impact from transfer guard John Tonje. He has been highly productive in his final year of eligibility, and despite being an older draft prospect, his strong offensive skill set and scoring efficiency make him an intriguing prospect for NBA teams.

Let’s take a closer look at Tonje’s performance through his first ten games of the season and how he has quickly reshaped the narrative regarding his NBA potential.

Through his first ten games of the year, Tonje has averaged 21.5 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 0.8 steals on impressive shooting splits of 49.1% from the field, 41.7% from three and 93.1% from the free-throw line. He primarily serves as a scorer for the Badgers and has delivered several massive performances against high-level opponents. Tonje has excelled at drawing fouls near the rim, collecting easy points from the free-throw line. At 6-foot-5 and 218 pounds, he has the solid frame of a prototypical NBA wing. While the sample size from this season is relatively small, his game has shown consistency and seems translatable to the next level.

His biggest performance of the year so far came in a 103-88 upset victory over Arizona, where Tonje scored a career-high 41 points, along with six rebounds, one assist and one steal. He was highly efficient in this outing, connecting on 8-of-14 field goals, 4-of-6 from deep and a staggering 21-of-22 from the free-throw line. He took over the game offensively and showed promising signs of his ability to attack off the dribble. Although his shooting mechanics are a bit slow, he has a consistent release, even though he generally needs a decent bit of space to hit these shots reliably. The standout aspect of his game in this performance was his patience after getting into the paint. He gathers the ball and attacks off two feet, which not only helps him absorb contact but also allows him to finish with more consistency after drawing the foul.

Wisconsin guard John Tonje in an upset win over No. 9 Arizona:

▪️ 41 PTS
▪️ 8-14 FG
▪️ 4-6 3PT
▪️ 21-22 FT
▪️ 6 REB pic.twitter.com/3ytHs5sDzV
— B/R Hoops (@brhoops) November 16, 2024

While his scoring and efficiency have dipped in the past two defeats—during which he averaged 16 points on 34.7% shooting from the field—the offensive upside remains highly promising. Both matchups were against strong defenses in Michigan and Marquette, and it is clear that Tonje is now the focal point of opposing defensive game plans. As Wisconsin’s Big Ten schedule intensifies, Tonje will need to regain his ability to lead the Badgers with big scoring outputs—not only to help his team in conference play but also to keep his name rising on draft boards.

In terms of areas for improvement that could help his draft stock, the primary focus should be on his passing and defensive impact. As a playmaker, Tonje does a good job scoring out of pick-and-roll sets, but expanding his ability to hit his bigs could further raise his ceiling as an NBA player. He projects as a primarily off-ball player at the next level, but developing his playmaking skills would undoubtedly enhance his value. Defensively, Tonje has shown flashes of using his length and anticipation to disrupt ball handlers and jump passing lanes, but increasing his overall productivity on this end of the floor would help him transition better to the next level.

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