Tag: john tonje

Wisconsin guard John Blackwell emerges during Badgers win over UT Rio Grande

WATCH: Every basket from Wisconsin guard John Blackwell’s career night

Wisconsin guard John Blackwell erupted for a career-high 30 points in UW’s 87-84 win over UT Rio Grande Valley on Monday.

With Wisconsin trailing by seven points early in the second half, Blackwell was the primary catalyst in helping UW claw back and secure its fifth win of the season over the Vaqueros. He dropped 20 points in the second half, 11 of which came during UW’s pivotal 14-5 scoring surge to capture a lead in the second frame.

Monday’s bout ultimately served as a reminder of what Blackwell can do on the offensive end. Given transfer wing John Tonje’s immediate impact with the Badgers, Blackwell’s contributions have often gone under the radar.

That certainly wasn’t the case on Monday. The Michigan native cashed in on 11 of his 18 attempts from the floor and showcased his knack for executing from inside of 12 feet and right near the hoop.

Blackwell also helped UW close the game from the free throw line in the winning effort — his final five points came from the charity stripe.

On the season Blackwell is responsible for 16.2 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 30.4 minutes per game. He and the Badgers will be back in action on Nov. 22 against UCF for the Greenbrier Tip-Off.

What Wisconsin coach Greg Gard said about Badgers’ tight win over UT Rio Grande Valley

What Wisconsin coach Greg Gard said about Badgers’ tight win over UT Rio Grande Valley

Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard addressed the media following the Badgers’ 87-84 win over UT Rio Grande Valley on Monday.

Facing a unique matchup situation, Gard was forced to experiment with his rotations throughout the contest. The Vaqueros’ 6-foot-8 forward Hasan Abdul Hakim was the team’s most utilized big man on the scouting report, and Gard countered with forward Carter Gilmore defensively instead of center Nolan Winter.

Gard anticipated that before the game.

“It’s what you fear when you watch them on tape,” Gard said. “How difficult they can be to guard if they get the three going, specifically from the five position that was going to create some match up problems and force us to play smaller.”

After falling behind by as many as seven points in the second half, UW rallied to take its first lead near the midway point of the frame. With major scoring contributions from John Tonje, John Blackwell and Max Klesmit, UW bullied its way inside to counter what the Vaqueros were attempting to do from beyond the arc.

“[In] the second half, we were better,” Gard said. “Obviously the smaller lineup helped with that. We were able to find a way when we were not at our best.. good teams find a way when things aren’t always clicking and things become unorthodox. We’ll learn from it and keep getting better.”

No player was more impact than sophomore guard John Blackwell, The Michigan native scored a career-best 30 points off 11-of-18 from the field and snagged seven rebounds in the process.

“He got downhill,” Gard said. “I thought he was in the paint, playing off two feet and got to the free throw line. [He] took advantage of opportunities… Offensively, he put us on his back there for a while in the second half… he has a DNA of making winning plays.”

The No. 19-ranked Badgers improve to 5-0 with the victory. They will be back in action for their first road test of the season at the Greenbrier Tip-Off against UCF on Nov. 22.

RECAP: John Blackwell erupts for 30 points, Badgers squeeze by UT Rio Grande Valley

RECAP: John Blackwell erupts for 30 points, Badgers squeeze by UT Rio Grande Valley

Wisconsin basketball squeezed by UT Rio Grande Valley 87-84 to pick up its fifth victory of the 2024-25 season on Monday.

Sophomore guard John Blackwell was the story of the night. The Michigan native exploded for a career-best 30 points on 11-of-18 shooting and 6-of-8 from the free throw line. 20 of those points arrived in the second half of UW’s tight win, including 14 during the team’s game-altering 14-5 scoring surge midway through the final frame.

For the fifth consecutive game, Wisconsin was able to outlast its opponent from the free-throw line and three-point land. The Badgers cashed in on 27 of 32 attempts from the charity stripe and eight of 20 looks from outside. In a game that came down to the wire, UW’s aggressiveness, ability to draw fouls and capacity to capitalize on those opportunities proved to be the difference.

Tonje, UW’s superstar scorer at this juncture, dropped 19 points off a 3-of-5 clip from deep and a perfect 10-for-10 mark from the free throw line. Max Klesmit accounted for 11 points, and transfer forward Xavier Amos registered nine points of the bench in 13 minutes of action.

After trailing by as many as seven early in the second half, Greg Gard leaned on his perimeter players to secure the win. Centers Steven Crowl and Nolan Winter saw 33 combined minutes in the effort.

In fact, 36 of Wisconsin’s 39 second half points came from Tonje, Blackwell, and Klesmit. In games that call for more offensive dexterity, UW has discovered a trio that can work together to create from both the outside and at the free throw line.

Wisconsin improves to 5-0 on the young season with the home triumph. UT Rio Grande Valley, meanwhile, drops to 3-3. Wisconsin will play its next game on Nov. 22 against UCF in the Greenbier Tip-Off.

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.

Wisconsin basketball enters AP Poll top 25 after big win over Arizona

Wisconsin basketball enters AP Poll top 25 after big win over Arizona

Wisconsin basketball landed at No. 19 in the latest AP Top 25 men’s college basketball poll on Monday.

After being placed in the ‘receiving votes’ section of last week’s poll, Wisconsin received 370 points in this week’s update to firmly cement itself in the hierarchy.

The team’s signature win against the Arizona Wildcats played a pivotal role in its new position. In that game, wing John Tonje dropped 41 points on eight made field goals and a record 21 made free throws.

Wisconsin has now entered the upper echelon of Big Ten programs across the college basketball landscape. Only No. 6 Purdue and No. 16 Indiana ranked higher than Greg Gard’s program on this installation of the hierarchy.

Wisconsin also rocketed up the latest KenPom ranking and ESPN’s latest BPI. After being ranked No. 40 in the KenPom list on Nov. 12, UW moved up 11 spots to No. 29. At No. 22 in the ESPN BPI, the Badgers are up seven spots from about a week ago.

Backed by the strong individual contributions from Tonje, UW is averaging nearly 89 points per game off 47.4% from the field, 39% from beyond the arc and a blistering 90% from the free throw line. It’s safe to say Wisconsin has answered any offensive questions from those concerned over its offseason loses in the transfer portal.

Wisconsin’s next game is at home against UT Rio Grande Valley on Nov. 18.

John Tonje breaks Wisconsin program record in Badgers win over No. 9 Arizona

John Tonje broke a program record on Friday:

This story was updated to change a photo.

Wisconsin wing John Tonje continued his torrid start to the 2024-25 season on Friday night, leading the Badgers to a signature win over No. 9 Arizona.

With program legend Bo Ryan honored at halftime and the Badgers’ 2014 and 2015 Final Four teams in the building, the transfer wing came within a basket of breaking Frank Kaminsky’s single-game program scoring record (43 points).

Related: Biggest takeaways from Wisconsin basketball’s big win over Arizona

Instead, he had to settle for the following stat line: 41 points, six rebounds, one assist and one steal on 8-of-14 shooting, 4-of-6 from three and 21-of-22 from the free throw line.

Those 21 free throws broke a program record, previously held by Nigel Hayes (17 made free throws on Jan. 26, 2016).

Tonje’s exceptional foul-line performance was part of Wisconsin shooting 87.2% (41-of-47) overall from the line, a decisive factor in the team’s signature victory. The Badgers entered the contest ranked No. 2 in the nation shooting 92.5% from the charity stripe. Tonje’s performance against the Wildcats embodies a critical combination of volume and efficiency, creating a margin that a top team in Arizona was unable to overcome.

Tonje’s performance continues to be among the biggest stories of Wisconsin’s season to date. He’s up to 94 total points over the four contests (23.5 points per game), seamlessly filling the scoring vacancy created by A.J. Storr’s offseason departure to Kansas.

The Badgers improve to 4-0 on the season with the statement victory. Most importantly, it appears that Greg Gard has found another big-time transfer addition.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, and opinion.

RECAP: John Tonje stars as Wisconsin basketball upsets No. 9 Arizona

RECAP: John Tonje leads Wisconsin to signature win over No. 9 Arizona

This story was updated to change a photo.

Wisconsin basketball picked up a statement victory on Friday — a 103-88 triumph over the No. 9-ranked Arizona Wildcats.

Transfer wing John Tonje headlined the Badgers’ performance. He finished with 41 points on 8-of-14 shooting and 21-of-22 from the free-throw line. Those 41 points came within just two points of breaking Frank Kaminsky’s single-game program scoring record (43 points), while the 21 free throw makes did break the program’s previous record of 17 (Nigel Hayes, Jan. 26, 2016).

Related: Biggest takeaways from Wisconsin basketball’s big win over Arizona

Wisconsin’s performance was again led by great three-point and free-throw shooting. Greg Gard’s team shot 48% from the floor, 44.4% from three (12-of-27) and 87.2% from the charity stripe (41-of-47). 103-point outings would have sounded impossible for previous iterations of the Badgers. Gard’s new-look, analytics-driven approach is leading to substantial results.

John Blackwell and Max Klesmit combined for 27 points in the victory, walk-on guard Jack Janicki played a big role with nine points off the bench, transfer forward Xavier Amos finished with eight points with two three-pointers made and Kamari McGee continued to excel in his role off the bench.

Every stat leads back to Tonje, who has given Wisconsin a dominant scoring presence that it desperately needed after A.J. Storr’s offseason departure. Tonje’s play and the Badgers’ big win should start to alter expectations moving forward.

Wisconsin improves to 4-0 on the young season with the statement victory. Arizona, meanwhile, drops to 2-1. The Badgers are sure to enter the AP Poll when it is updated next week.

Wisconsin returns to the court on Monday against UT-Rio Grande before a weekend road trip to the Greenbrier Classic.

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Wisconsin basketball vs. Arizona: Full matchup preview for Friday’s game

Wisconsin basketball vs. Arizona: Full matchup preview for Friday’s game

Wisconsin basketball (3-0) returns to the hardwood for its fourth game of the 2024-25 slate on Friday night for a matchup against the Arizona Wildcats (2-0).

The Badgers enter the contest after a 87-56 win over Appalachian State last Sunday. The performance was easily UW’s most impressive of the season — the Badgers rattled off a 23-0 scoring surge in the first half to virtually seal the triumph at the Kohl Center.

Arizona, meanwhile, is 2-0 to start the year with an average margin of victory of 43.5 points per game. Its most recent win arrived in a 58-point triumph over Old Dominion on Nov. 9.

Led by guard Caleb Love, Arizona rosters seven players who score at least nine points per game. The Wildcats hold the No. 9 ranking in the nation and have become one of the top programs across the entire sport.

Tip-off is set for 9:00 p.m. ET, 8:00 p.m. CT on Peacock. Before that point, here is a full preview of how the Badgers and Wildcats match up:

Statistical Preview

KenPom Rating:

  • Wisconsin: No. 39 overall (No. 34 offense, No. 63 defense)
  • Arizona: No. 7 (No. 11 offense, No. 12 defense)

ESPN BPI

  • Wisconsin: No. 27 overall (13.2) — No. 5 in the Big Ten
  • Arizona: No. 4 overall (19.4) — No. 2 in the Big 12

2024-25 Averages:

  • Wisconsin: 83.7 points per game (47% shooting, 37 % from three), 61.3 points allowed per game (42% shooting allowed, 38% from three)
  • Arizona: 97.5 points per game (50% shooting, 32% from three), 54 points allowed per game (37% shooting allowed, 29% from three)

ESPN Matchup Predictor:

  • Arizona 62.1% chance to win, Wisconsin 37.9%

Wisconsin Key Players

  • G John Blackwell (12.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1 steal on 39% shooting)
  • G Max Klesmit (16 points, 1.0 rebound, 2.0 assists, 3.0 steals on 43% shooting)
  • Wing John Tonje (17.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists on 55% shooting)
  • C Steven Crowl (10 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists on 48% shooting)
  • F Nolan Winter (10.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, 1 assist on 70% shooting)

Arizona Key Players

  • G Caleb Love (13.5 points, 3.5 rebounds on 46% shooting)
  • F Tobe Awaka (11.0 points, 12.0 rebounds, 1.0 blocks on 69% shooting)
  • G Jaden Bradley (11.0 points, 2.5 rebounds, 50% shooting)
  • G KJ Lewis (11.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.5 steals, 1.5 blocks on 56% shooting)
  • F Carter Bryant (9 points, 2.5 rebounds, on 58% shooting)

[gambcom-standard rankid=”4141″ ]

Prediction, betting odds

Spread: Arizona favored by 4 1/2

Moneyline: Arizona minus-115, Wisconsin plus-105

Over/Under: 152 1/2

All College Basketball Odds via BetMGM.

Wisconsin has played extremely well in all three second halves of their first three games of the 2024-25 season. Backed by 17.7 points per contest from transfer wing John Tonje, the Badgers have put together an extremely efficient season from all three levels of the hardwood. UW also opened its season with two 7-footers down low in Steven Crowl and Nolan Winter, a potentially lethal threat against smaller lineups.

Unfortunately for UW, Arizona accounts for 51 rebounds per game and leans on a well-rounded attack from nearly every player in its rotation. In fact, seven players muster at least nine points per appearance.

Prediction: Arizona 92, Wisconsin 78

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Get more betting analysis and predictions at Sportsbook Wire.

Wisconsin basketball ‘receiving votes’ in first AP Poll update

Wisconsin basketball ‘receiving votes’ in first AP Poll update

Wisconsin basketball received six votes in the latest AP Top 25 men’s college basketball poll on Monday.

Despite amassing a 3-0 start to the 2024-25 season, Wisconsin didn’t experience much of a shift from its position in the AP Top 25 poll from Oct. 14. In that iteration of the hierarchy, Greg Gard’s program pocketed five votes ahead of the season.

Since then, Wisconsin has vanquished all of its early-season opponents by an average of 22.3 points per triumph. In his first season as a Badger, transfer wing John Tonje has spearheaded the offensive attack with 17.7 points and 5.3 rebounds per game.

Senior guard Max Klesmit has followed with 16 points per game, and John Blackwell, Steven Crowl and Nolan Winter have chipped in with at least 10 points per contest as well.

As a team, Wisconsin is shooting a blistering 92.5% from the charity stripe and 37% from beyond the arc. Even though their adversaries aren’t anywhere near the AP’s top 25, Wisconsin has done exactly what its needed to do thus far.

In UW’s most recent win over Appalachian State, the Badgers orchestrated a 23-0 scoring spurt and saw five players score at least 10 points in the effort.

Wisconsin was also rated No. 40 in the latest KenPom ranking and No. 29 in ESPN’s latest BPI. The three wins have elevated them at least nine spots in both lists.

The Badgers return to the hardwood for a marquee matchup against No. 9 Arizona on Friday. A win against the touted Wildcats could catapult UW into the top 25 bubble.

Wisconsin absent from latest USA TODAY Sports men’s basketball coaches poll

Wisconsin absent from latest USA TODAY Sports men’s basketball coaches poll

After rattling off three straight wins to start to 2024-25 season, the Wisconsin Badgers did not appear in the latest USA TODAY Sports Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll.

The Badgers failed to garner any consideration in the first in-season update after first landing in the ‘receiving votes’ section of the preseason edition.

Wisconsin has started the season 3-0 with triumphs over Holy Cross, Montana State and Appalachian State — those coming by 67 combined points. While the Badgers’ record is flawless, the wins have not come against any notable competition.

The Badgers get their first chance at a statement win on Nov. 15 when Arizona visits the Kohl Center.

Kansas remains the No. 1 team in updated poll after a strong opening week. The Jayhawks are followed by No. 2 Alabama, No. 3 UConn, No. 4 Auburn and No. 5 Gonzaga. A total of five Big Ten squads cracked Nov. 11’s installation of the top-25 list.

Here’s a look at the full USA TODAY Sports Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll following Nov. 10’s games:

Ranking Team Record Points
1 Kansas 2-0 759 (21)
2 Alabama 2-0 724 (4)
3 UConn 2-0 702 (3)
4 Auburn 2-0 660 (2)
5 Gonzaga 2-0 651 (1)
6 Duke 2-0 608
7 Iowa State 1-0 576
8 Arizona 2-0 516
9 Tennessee 2-0 502
10 Houston 1-1 488
11 North Carolina 1-1 456
12 Purdue 2-0 437
13 Creighton 2-0 385
14 Baylor 1-1 328
15 Marquette 2-0 308
16 Indiana 2-0 234
17 Cincinnati 2-0 230
18 Kentucky 2-0 182
19 Florida 2-0 179
20 Illinois 2-0 151
21 Arkansas 1-1 150
22 Ohio State 1-0 148
23 Texas A&M 1-1 99
24 Rutgers 1-0 84
25 St. John’s 2-0 79

Schools Dropped Out

No. 19 Texas; No. 22 UCLA; No. 25 Ole Miss;

Others Receiving Votes

Texas Tech 75; Ole Miss 60; Texas 54; Xavier 38; Oregon 37; Michigan State 29; BYU 29; UCLA 18; UCF 17; Wake Forest 12; Saint Mary’s 12; Kansas State 9; Clemson 9; New Mexico 8; Dayton 8; North Florida 7; Maryland 5; Providence 4; Mississippi State 4; Nevada 2; San Francisco 1; Grand Canyon 1;

The Badgers will face the No. 9 Arizona Wildcats at the Kohl Center on Nov. 15. A win against one of college basketball’s powers would undoubtedly elevate UW into the top 25 before the team travels to the East Coast to compete in the Greenbrier Tip-Off.

Wisconsin’s game vs. Arizona is slated for 8:00 p.m. CT and will be aired on Peacock.