John Tonje named Big Ten Player of the Week after 41-point outburst vs. Arizona

John Tonje named Big Ten Player of the Week after 41-point outburst vs. Arizona

After dropping 41 points in UW’s signature win over Arizona on Friday, Badger wing John Tonje earned Big Ten Player of the Week nods on Monday.

Tonje is the first Badger to receive the honor since Johnny Davis in 2022. In the win, the graduate student also became the fourth player in UW history to score at least 40 points.

In addition to his overall point total, the hyper-athletic wing notched a single-game program record from the free throw line with 21 makes and snared a team-high six rebounds.

On top of all that, Tonje’s offensive explosion propelled Wisconsin to No. 19 in the Associated Press’ latest top 25 poll.

Through four games of the 2024-25 season, Tonje has transformed into the clear-cut No. 1 option on a team many assumed would struggle on the offense end of the floor.

The top offseason acquisition is currently averaging 23.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game, shooting nearly 95% from the free throw line, over 47% from deep and roughly 56% from the field.

Tonje and the Badgers are back in action against UT Rio Grande Valley at 7:00 p.m. CT on Nov. 18.