Tag: greenbrier tip-off

Analyzing Wisconsin wing John Tonje’s historic start to 2024-25 season

Analyzing Wisconsin wing John Tonje’s historic start to 2024-25 season

Wisconsin Badgers basketball wing John Tonje is off to a remarkable start to the 2024-25 season.

Through seven games, the former Missouri Tiger and Colorado State Ram is averaging 23 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 31 minutes per game for UW. He is also shooting 54.3% from the field, 40.6% from three-point range and 95.2% from the charity stripe.

As of Nov. 25, Tonje’s scoring average is the ninth-best in the nation. Only Green Bay’s Anthony Roy (28.0 PPG), UC Davis’ Ty Johnson (26.8 PPG), Villanova’s Eric Dixon (26.7 PPG), Colombia’s Geronimo Rubio De La Rosa (24.0 PPG), Northwestern’s Nick Martinelli (23.8 PPG), Temple’s Jamal Mashburn Jr. (23.3 PPG), Jacksonville State’s Jaron Pierre Jr. (23.3 PPG) and FDU’s Terrence Brown (23.1 PPG) boast higher individual points-per-game rates.

If Tonje’s season points average were to stick, it would be the second-best in Badgers history behind Clarence Sherrod, a guard who played with UW from 1968-71. Tonje’s free throw percentage is also currently the best in program history by over 0.3 percentage points.

The conversation surrounding Tonje’s acquisition revolved around his ability to replicate what A.J. Storr did in his lone season in Madison. As it stands today, Tonje looks like a much better player.

The North Omaha, Nebraska native emerged in national conversations after scoring a career-high 41 points in Wisconsin’s season-defining win against Arizona on Nov. 15. He then dropped 33 points in the Badgers’ 81-75 win over Pittsburgh at the Greenbrier Tip-Off on Nov. 24.

Tonje is unquestionably Wisconsin’s most valuable player to date. He has been as aggressive as any player in college basketball this season. And, when the game is on the line, fans can rest assured that Tonje will cash in on any free throw opportunities.

At this current pace, Tonje could be in consideration for the Wooden Award at the end of the season.

The 7-0 Badgers are back in action on Nov. 30 against Chicago State at the Kohl Center.

Wisconsin basketball scales latest AP Poll after Greenbrier Tip-Off triumph

Wisconsin basketball scales latest AP Poll after Greenbrier Tip-Off triumph

Wisconsin basketball landed at No. 15 in the latest AP Top 25 men’s college basketball poll on Monday.

After being ranked No. 19 in the poll’s Week 3 installation, Wisconsin earned 666 points in this week’s update to leapfrog Cincinnati and Arizona to claim the No., 15 spot in the hierarchy.

Just two Big Ten teams, Indiana (No. 14) and Purdue (No. 13), rank higher than Wisconsin on this week’s list.

For context, UW received 370 points in Week 3 after securing a signature win over Arizona, which held the No. 9 position at the time of the victory. Wisconsin’s wins over UT Rio Grande Valley, UCF and Pittsburgh have reassured voters of the team’s status as one of college basketball’s best teams thus far.

Wisconsin’s win over Pittsburgh put an exclamation on that impressive start. Backed by 33 points from star wing John Tonje, UW rallied back from a 14-point deficit to vanquish Pittsburgh on Nov. 24 to secure the program’s third November non-conference tournament title since 2021.

As they did in Week 3, Wisconsin also rocketed up the latest KenPom ranking and ESPN’s latest BPI. After being ranked No. 40 in the KenPom list before the Greenbrier Tip-Off, the Badgers are up 14 spots in KenPom to No. 26 overall, with the No. 12-rated offense and No. 72 defense.

ESPN’s latest BPI update has the Badgers at No. 27 overall with a projected final record of 21.8-9.2.

Tonje, who is playing like one of the best talents in all of college basketball, is averaging a stellar 23.0 points per game of 54.3% from the floor, over 40% from deep and over 95% fro the line.

As a team, UW is averaging nearly 87 points per game off 47.9% from the field, 36.3% from beyond the arc and a blistering 86.5% from the free throw line.

Wisconsin’s next game is at home against Chicago State on Nov. 30.

What Wisconsin coach Greg Gard, wing John Tonje said after Greenbrier Tip-Off win

What Wisconsin coach Greg Gard, wing John Tonje said after Greenbrier Tip-Off win

Wisconsin coach Greg Gard and star wing John Tonje addressed the media following the Badgers’ 81-75 win over Pittsburgh on Sunday.

For the first time since Wisconsin reached the NCAA Tournament final in 2015, the team is 7-0 and has scored 79 or more points in every win. To achieve that on Sunday, the Badgers needed to rally back from 14 down in the first half against a tough Pittsburgh team.

“Heck of a game against a really, really good team,” Gard said. “Not a great start for us offensively, but the resilience these guys showed being down 14 and not being able to get anything going offensively, they leaned into their defense even more.”

Wisconsin did just that. After posting 27 points in the opening frame off abysmal shooting splits, Wisconsin put together a 54-point second half and held the Panthers to under 16% from distance.

To correct that, Gard looked inward at UW’s offensive possessions during the first half.

“[In the] second half, we were able to get some things going,” Gard said. “I felt offensively we had to do a better job at shot selection,” Gard said. “We took some quick ones at times, we took some look twos… and then we go 0-of-10 from three for the first half. Analytically at halftime, we were getting what we wanted. We just needed a couple threes to go in.”

Fortunately, Wisconsin’s program is well aware of its culture. When those shots weren’t falling, Gard was able to lean on his depth to uplift stars like John Tonje and John Blackwell.

“You lean into your defensive when your offensive isn’t clicking like it has been,” Gard said. “Eventually, we got to the point where we were able to get to the free throw line.. The resilience of this group, the toughness of this group, the guts within this group in [Max] Klesmit, [Kamari] McGee and [Carter] Gilmore, those are the fighters that help in those situations. That’s the core of our program.”

Tonje, who dropped 33 points in the victory, was virtually un-guardable. The wing scored 25 of his 33 in the second half off 9-of-11 from the field and 8-of-8 from the free throw line.

“I was trying to be aggressive from the start,” Tonje said. “I didn’t shoot the ball well early, but I just kept with it. The primary defender on me had three fouls, so I was trying to be aggressive. A couple of the guys that were switching out on me had a couple fouls as well. I knew on the scouring report that they’re not necessarily as deep of a team, so we knew we had to take advantage of guys in foul trouble. So that was what I was looking for.”

The 7-0 Badgers will return to the Kohl Center on Nov. 30 for a game against Chicago State.

Wisconsin surges in KenPom and ESPN BPI after win over Pittsburgh, Greenbrier Tip-Off title

Wisconsin surges in KenPom and ESPN BPI after win over Pittsburgh, Greenbrier Tip-Off title

Wisconsin basketball continued its early season emergence over the weekend, defeating UCF, 86-70, and Pittsburgh, 81-75, to capture the 2024 Greenbrier Tip-Off title.

The wins came in an entirely different fashion. Wisconsin dominated UCF from the opening tip and was never tested in the second half. The Pittsburgh game was a significant test. The Badgers trailed by as many as 14 in the first half, then needed a 54-point second frame and sheer dominance from wing John Tonje to exit with the victory.

Related: Biggest takeaways from Wisconsin basketball’s win over Pittsburgh

That resilience against a good Pittsburgh team is another notch in the belt for Greg Gard’s group. It continues to emerge as a surprise contender in both the Big Ten and nationally. The team is off to a 7-0 start for the third time in program history (2014-15 and 1973-74).

Ratings metrics have been somewhat hesitant to crown Gard’s team as a true contender, however. Wisconsin entered the Greenbrier Tip-Off ranked No. 40 KenPom and No. 30 in ESPN BPI.

Those marks both rose significantly after the pair of wins.

The Badgers are up 14 spots in KenPom to No. 26 overall, with the No. 12-rated offense and No. 72 defense. That mark is good for fourth-best in the Big Ten behind only Purdue (No. 15), Ohio State (No. 18) and UCLA (No. 22).

The team also rose to No. 27 in BPI. The metric has its projected final record at 21.8-9.2 and gives it an 14.2% chance to win the Big Ten.

Wisconsin faced an uphill battle in those metrics to begin the season. Each likely put significant weight into the departures of Tyler Wahl, A.J. Storr and Chucky Hepburn.

The on-court product has eliminated that narrative. Tonje looks to be an upgrade over Storr in the early going, averaging 23 points and 5.4 rebounds through the first seven games. The team as a whole looks to be improved over the 2023-24 group. Part of that can be attributed to the development of Nolan Winter, Kamari McGee, John Blackwell and others. It also should be credited to fantastic coaching from Gard and his staff. His new system is allowing the team to flourish, and it is playing its best basketball since the team made a run to the national title game in 2015.

Wisconsin is back on the court on Saturday against Chicago State. It begins Big Ten play with a home game against Michigan on Dec. 3.

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