Wisconsin basketball star John Tonje excels during second NBA combine full scrimmage
Wisconsin basketball star John Tonje excels during second NBA combine full scrimmage
Former Wisconsin basketball star John Tonje was a major standout from Thursday's 5-on-5 scrimmage at the NBA combine.
The NBA hopeful tallied 17 points on 8-of-15 shooting, plus seven rebounds and two assists, in 27 minutes of action. That point total tied former Indiana forward Mackenzie Mgbako for the most on the team. Notably, it marked a major step forward from the former Badger's three points, four rebounds and one assist in the combine's first scrimmage on Wednesday.
Tonje's strong performance continues to back up his terrific 2024-25 campaign as Wisconsin's top option. While some questions exist surrounding how his 19.6 points per game, 46.5% shooting from the floor and 39% 3-point shooting will translate to the NBA level, the 6-foot-5 wing's NBA combine showing is working to put those to rest.
Mock drafts reflect that standing. Tonje goes off the board in the low 40s in most post-lottery draft projections, those released before the latest combine scrimmage results. Overall, his stock has risen enough to even bring a late-first-round selection into play.
Badger fans saw Tonje's impact firsthand this past season. His emergence into an All-Big Ten and All-American-caliber player led the team to a 27-win campaign, including big triumphs over Arizona, Purdue, Illinois, UCLA and Michigan State. Even in the team's season-ending loss to BYU in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, Tonje was unstoppable, totaling 37 points on 10-of-18 shooting.
Stay tuned for where the former Wisconsin star trends in updated post-combine mock drafts. An early-second-round selection is quickly becoming the expectation.
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