Tag: Wisconsin basketball

Wisconsin transfer addition John Tonje sets program record in win over Holy Cross

Wisconsin transfer addition John Tonje sets program record in win over Holy Cross

This story was updated to add new information.

Missouri transfer wing John Tonje headlined Wisconsin basketball’s season-opening win over Holy Cross on Monday.

The sixth-year senior led the team with 23 points and five rebounds on six of 11 shooting, three of six from three-point range and a perfect eight-for-eight from the free throw line. His offense was a key catalyst for the Badgers overcoming an early deficit and finishing with a 24-point win.

Related: Biggest takeaways from Wisconsin basketball’s opening win over Holy Cross

For further context on Tonje’s impact, his 23 points are the most for a Badger in his Wisconsin debut since at least 2000, according to official word from the program.

The total surpasses Josh Gasser’s debut as a freshman in 2010 (21 points). Compared to other recent transfer additions, Tonje’s total of 23 points bests A.J. Storr’s 15 in the 2023-24 opener and Micah Potter’s 12 to begin 2019-20.

Tonje’s emergence has a versatile offensive weapon is significant news for a Wisconsin team looking to replace the wing production of Storr, who transferred to Kansas this offseason. The Missouri transfer already looks like an impact addition for Greg Gard and his staff as the Badgers enter a critical 2024-25 season.

Tonje will lead Wisconsin back on the court on Thursday for a home matchup with Montana State.

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RECAP: Wisconsin basketball beats Holy Cross in season opener

RECAP: Wisconsin basketball beats Holy Cross in season opener

The Wisconsin Badgers opened their season with an 85-61 win over Holy Cross at the Kohl Center on Nov. 4.

In his Badger debut, transfer guard John Tonje captained scoring duties with 23 points and corralled five rebounds. Sophomore center Nolan Winter shot a perfect 6-6 from the field for 15 points and snared a game-high eight rebounds, and sophomore guard John Blackwell registered 16 points and four boards as well.

Wisconsin utilized the exact same starting lineup vs. Holy Cross as it did in its scrimmage against UW-River Falls:

G: John Blackwell

G: Max Klesmit

G: John Tonje (transfer)

F: Nolan Winter

C: Steven Crowl

While the final score suggests a wire-to-wire domination, UW’s first half output said otherwise. After veteran center Steven Crowl nailed his first 3FG of the season, Holy Cross wing Gabe Warren scored 11 points to push the Crusaders ahead 13-3 within the first four minutes.

He and forward Caleb Kenney would maintain the pressure to bring the Holy Cross edge to 23-7 at the 11:54-minute mark. Tonje and Blackwell would help UW regain control, however, as they combined for 20 first-half points at intermission.

After sparring with Holy Cross for the first stanza of the second half, the Badgers surged offensively. Tonje and Blackwell picked up right where they left off; the duo scored 14 of UW’s first 22 second half tallies to make it 59-46 Wisconsin with just under 10 minutes to spare.

From then on, Winter handled virtually all the scoring duties for the Badgers. The 7-footer shined with 13 points in the final six minutes and showcased his range with two 3FG.

As a team, Wisconsin shot 49.2% from the field, 35.5% from outside and a perfect 16-16 from the charity stripe. Wisconsin out-rebounded Holy Cross 38-21 and scored 18 more points in the paint.

With both Crowl and Winter down low, UW poses a challenging matchup for any team without size. Against Holy Cross, a team without a 7-footer on its 2024-25 roster, there’s no denying that the Badgers entered the game with a clear advantage,

Still, the story was the play from Tonje. A capable shooter and veteran presence in UW’s locker room, it appears as if head coach Greg Gard will lean on the former Missouri and Colorado State hooper to pick up some of the scoring slack after AJ Storr transferred to Kansas.

Guard Kamari McGee also looked sharp. In 27 minutes off the bench, the senior logged 7 points and four assists as the pilot of Wisconsin’s second unit.

Wisconsin now moves to 9-0 in season openers under Gard. The Badgers will be back in action on Thursday, Nov. 9, vs. Montana State at the Kohl Center.

Wisconsin basketball vs. Holy Cross injury report: Badgers without a top transfer addition

Wisconsin basketball vs. Holy Cross injury report: Badgers without a top transfer addition

Wisconsin basketball has released its injury report ahead of its season-opening contest against Holy Cross.

The Badgers will be without transfer guard Camren Hunter, while top forward Nolan Winter is considered a game-time decision, according to 247Sports’ Evan Flood.

Related: Projecting Wisconsin basketball’s starting lineup, rotation entering the 2024-25 season

Both Hunter and Winter were on the court for the team’s recent scrimmage against UW-River Falls last Wednesday. Winter was in the starting lineup — signaling an increased role after he was Steven Crowl’s primary backup in 2023-24. He played 24 minutes in the scrimmage win, totaling eight points and seven rebounds.

Hunter, meanwhile, played just five minutes as a depth option off the bench. The Central Arkansas transfer projects to enter the season behind Max Klesmit, John Blackwell, John Tonje, Kamari McGee and Daniel Freitag on the team’s backcourt depth chart. His status is of note after he missed the entire 2023-24 season with an injury.

Wisconsin and Holy Cross will tip-off at 8 p.m. ET, 7 p.m. CT at the Kohl Center. The game will be available via stream on BTN+ and on radio on the Badger Sports Network.

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How to watch Wisconsin basketball vs. Holy Cross

How to watch Wisconsin basketball vs. Holy Cross

Wisconsin basketball officially begins its 2024-25 season on Monday night at the Kohl Center.

The opening opponent: the Holy Cross Crusaders — KenPom’s No. 343 team in the nation and 10th of 11 in the Patriot League.

Related: Projecting Wisconsin basketball’s starting lineup, rotation entering the 2024-25 season

The Badgers enter the season ranked No. 47 in KenPom. The metric and most preview services submit a cautious outlook for the team after it lost top contributors Tyler Wahl, Chucky Hepburn and A.J. Storr after last season.

Wisconsin appears to have a team deep enough to establish a strong position in the new Big Ten landscape. Transfer additions John Tonje, Camren Hunter and Xavier Amos, and top freshman Daniel Freitag all figure to play significant roles.

But the bigger question surrounding the team is its top-end talent. A deep bench of contributors won’t make a substantial difference if nobody emerges as the go-to option. Sophomore John Blackwell is a popular pick to fill that top role.

Those questions won’t be definitively answered during Wisconsin’s season opener on Monday against Holy Cross. We will, however, begin to learn what the season has in store.

Here is how to watch Wisconsin’s 2024-25 opener:

  • Date: Monday, Nov. 4, 2024
  • Opponent: Holy Cross
  • Time: 8:00 p.m. ET, 7:00 p.m. CT
  • TV Channel: BTN+ (stream)

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Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard praises Badgers point guard after exhibition win

Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard praises Badgers point guard after exhibition win

Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard praised point guard Kamari McGee following the Badgers’ 78-62 exhibition win over UW-River Falls on Wednesday.

In 24 minutes off the bench, McGee registered five points, six assists and four rebounds for UW’s second unit. McGee also took care of the rock and did not record a turnover during his time orchestrating the offense.

“He’s been the most consistent,” Gard said after the game. “That’s what he’s done, day in and day out. He makes the teams that he’s on better. I told him as I decided who I was going to start tonight that I wanted to make sure he had that same energy and bounce.”

Gard elected to go with John Tonje, Steven Crowl, Nolan Winter, John Blackwell and Max Klesmit as his starting unit against UW-River Falls. Nonetheless, McGee has emerged as a trusted voice in Wisconsin’s locker room.

“He and [Max Klesmit] do a great job vocally of leading the team. Those guys are the heartbeat of it,” Gard emphasized.

In 56 career games at Wisconsin before his senior year, McGee averaged 7.6 minutes per game in his time as a valued bench asset. With three new transfers and two true freshmen now in the fold, his leadership and consistency figures to play a pivotal role in how UW’s group operates throughout the 2024-25 season.

Wisconsin basketball gives glimpse at starting lineup, rotation in exhibition vs. UW-River Falls

Wisconsin basketball gives glimpse at starting lineup, rotation in exhibition vs. UW-River Falls

Wisconsin basketball stepped on the Kohl Center court on Wednesday for the first action of the 2024-25 season, albeit in an unofficial capacity.

The Badgers faced UW-River Falls in a preseason scrimmage. The score, which doesn’t count, was 78-62 in favor of Wisconsin.

Related: Big Ten basketball power rankings entering 2024-25 season: A first look at the expanded conference

Transfer guard John Tonje led the way for the Badgers with 15 points, while center Steven Crowl and forward Carter Gilmore added 14 and nine, respectively.

The contest got tight in the second half, with UW-River Falls cutting the Badgers lead to just two points with 12:55 remaining. Wisconsin would pull away in the end, though its performance was far from dominant.

There aren’t many big-picture takeaways from the performance of Greg Gard’s team in its first unofficial game action. The group, with new faces at nearly every position, will need some time to gel and find on-court rhythm.

One thing we can read into from the contest, however, is the Badgers’ initial starting lineup and early rotation.

Wisconsin entered the scrimmage as follows:

G: John Blackwell

G: Max Klesmit

G: John Tonje (transfer)

F: Nolan Winter

C: Steven Crowl

Gard’s first two players off the bench were F Markus Ilver and G Kamari McGee for Winter and Tonje, respectively. He proceeded to quickly rotate after that pair, using as many as 10 total players in the first 12 minutes of the exhibition.

Both the general rotation and starting lineup point to a main theme: the Badgers are deep throughout the lineup.

Blackwell, Klesmit and Crowl are easy write-ins to the nightly starting five. Tonje and Winter, meanwhile, are battling among a larger group that also includes veterans Carter Gilmore and Kamari McGee, top freshman Daniel Freitag, transfer forward Xavier Amos and transfer guard Camren Hunter. That isn’t even mentioning Ilver, who could earn a role.

Where the 2024-25 Badgers lack in top-end star power after the offseason departures of Chucky Hepburn and A.J. Storr they excels in depth of contributors. The busy battle for the two spots alongside Blackwell, Klesmit and Crowl shows that reality.

Gard is now tasked with finding a rotation that maximizes depth that could possibly reach 11 spots. That effort will begin on Monday, Nov. 4 when the Badgers officially open their 2024-25 season against Holy Cross at the Kohl Center.

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Wisconsin basketball to honor program legend on Nov. 15 vs. Arizona

Wisconsin basketball to honor program legend on Nov. 15 vs. Arizona

Wisconsin basketball will honor recent Hall of Fame inductee Bo Ryan on Nov. 15 against the Arizona Wildcats at the Kohl Center.

The program, which will also celebrate members of its Final Four squads from 2014 and 2015, will raise a banner commemorating Ryan that will adorn the Kohl Center’s rafters forever.

It’s no coincidence that this dedication will arrive against the Wildcats. Ryan coached Frank Kaminsky and company to victories over Arizona in both 2014 and 2015. Both wins were a critical part of each team’s NCAA Tournament runs.

In early October, Ryan was officially inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame alongside basketball legends including Chauncey Billups, Vince Carter, Michael Cooper and Walter Davis.

Ryan served as Wisconsin’s head coach for 15 seasons. By the time of his retirement in 2015, he had led UW to a a 364-130 overall record, 15 NCAA Tournament appearances, two Final Fours and one national championship game during his time manning the sidelines.

Before his time in Madison, Ryan led the University of Wisconsin-Platteville to four NCAA Division III Tournament titles in 1991, 1995, 1998 and 1999. He is widely considered one of the greatest coaches in the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s storied history.

Former Wisconsin assistant, son of Badgers program legend surprisingly announces retirement

Former Wisconsin assistant, championship-winning coach surprisingly announces retirement

Former Wisconsin basketball assistant and longtime Virginia head coach Tony Bennett is announcing his retirement from coaching at a press conference on Friday at 11 a.m. ET.

Tony Bennett, who is the son of former Wisconsin head coach Dick Bennett, coached with the Badgers from 1999-2003. He began on his father’s staff in 1999 — a year that saw Wisconsin’s first Final Four run in over 50 years — before staying on after Bo Ryan took over in 2001.

Related: Big Ten basketball power rankings entering 2024-25 season: A first look at the expanded conference

Bennett surprisingly announces his retirement after 15 years as head coach at Virginia. His resume includes a 433-169 overall record, four ACC Coach of the Year awards, two Naismith Coach of the Year honors, eight ACC titles and a national championship in 2019.

He is the latest college basketball coach to retire far before their career twilight — Villanova’s Jay Wright being the other prominent example.

Bennett was 3-2 against the Badgers in his Virginia career — the latest a 65-41 Wisconsin victory in last year’s Fort Myers Tip-Off.

https://twitter.com/UVAMensHoops/status/1847012207684366683

From a Wisconsin perspective: Bennett was always a popular name brought up by fans when discussing a potential move off of Greg Gard. That move obviously has not happened, and I wouldn’t predict it to in the coming years.

But Bennett’s retirement does take one primary replacement candidate off the board for whenever the Badgers are next searching for a head coach.

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First look at former Wisconsin star Chucky Hepburn in Louisville uniform

First look at former Wisconsin star Chucky Hepburn in Louisville uniform

This story was updated to correct a misspelling/typo.

Former Wisconsin point guard Chucky Hepburn was pictured in Louisville’s team photo on Wednesday.

Hepburn is set to start at point guard for the Cardinals in 2024-25 after transferring from Wisconsin this offseason.

He elected to transfer after three seasons as Wisconsin’s starting point guard. He averaged 9,8 points, 2,8 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.6 steals in over 32 minutes per game during that span on 42% shooting from the field and 36% from three.

During his last season with the Badgers, Hepburn earned a 2024 All-Big Ten honorable mention distinction, a Big Ten All-Defensive team nod and a Big Ten All-Tournament team honor.

Here’s how Hepburn looks in Louisville Cardinals threads in the official team photo for the 2024-25 slate.

https://twitter.com/LouisvilleMBB/status/1846605720005071314

The star point guard wasn’t the only Badger to transfer following the 2023-24 season. Sharpshooter Connor Essegian made the move to Nebraska and star wing A.J. Storr elected to sign with the Kansas Jayhawks.

Hepburn’s shoes will likely be filled by a committee of point guards this season. Veteran point guard Kamari McGee, top 2024 recruit Daniel Freitag and Central Arkansas transfer Camren Hunter figure to lead the rotation.

The Badgers will open their season on Nov. 4 at the Kohl Center against Holy Cross.

Surprising candidate in contention for Wisconsin basketball starting point guard job

Surprising candidate emerging as Wisconsin basketball starting point guard

This story was updated to add new information

Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard met with the media on Tuesday after the Badgers’ open practice.

One surprising note from his comments came regarding the team’s ongoing battle for the starting point guard role. Gard said Kamari McGee has “consistently separated himself” at practice and has “played the best [of the point guards] over the two and a half weeks so far.”

Related: Big Ten basketball power rankings entering 2024-25 season based on KenPom rating

Gard was asked to specify if the job is McGee’s to lose at this stage of the preseason. His response: “We’re still a ways away from Nov. 4. We’ll see what happens tomorrow.”

The comments point toward McGee possibly leading a point guard group that includes top 2024 recruit Daniel Freitag and Central Arkansas transfer Camren Hunter.

Freitag joined the program this offseason as 247Sports’ No. 127 player, No. 11 point guard and No. 2 recruit in Minnesota in the class of 2024. Hunter  missed all of the 2023-24 season with an injury. He previously averaged 16.9 points in 34 minutes per game as a sophomore in 2022-23. The two projected to be the team’s primary options at the position.

McGee, on the other hand, played in 25 games for the Badgers in 2023-24. He finished with per-game averages of 8.2 minutes, 2.1 points, 0.8 rebounds, 0.5 assists and 0.5 steals on 54% shooting. His six-week absence in January and February directly coincided with the Badgers’ losing skid. While McGee’s numbers don’t jump off the page, Wisconsin seemed to consistently win with him in the lineup and lose with him out of it.

This is the biggest story surrounding the Wisconsin program with less than three weeks remaining before the opener against Holy Cross.

Freitag figures to play a big role immediately as a true freshman. But his role, and Wisconsin’s entire lineup, is somewhat up in the air. The team does not lack talent or experience — but it is set to look extremely different from last year’s group after the offseason departures of Chucky Hepburn, A.J. Storr and Tyler Wahl.

Gard and his team continue their preseason preparation before opening the 2024-25 season at the Kohl Center on Nov. 4 against Holy Cross. All eyes should be focused on who is announced as the team’s starting point guard during the pregame introductions.

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