Wisconsin Badgers star named semifinalist for major college basketball award
Wisconsin star wing John Tonje was named a Naismith Men's College Player of the Year semifinalist on Friday.
After landing on the award's initial 30-player midseason list on Feb. 14, Tonje was included alongside nine other athletes for the prestigious honor. Johni Broome (Auburn), Walter Clayton Jr. (Florida), Cooper Flagg (Duke), Kam Jones (Marquette), Ryan Kalkbrenner (Creighton), R.J. Luis Jr. (St. John's), Mark Sears (Alabama), Braden Smith (Purdue) and J.T. Toppin (Texas Tech) are the other semifinalists along with the Wisconsin star.
The news arrives just a few days after Tonje earned a unanimous spot on the 2024-25 All-Big Ten First Team along with Nebraska's Brice Williams, Maryland's Derik Queen, Michigan's Vladislav Goldin, Purdue's Trey Kauffman-Renn and Braden Smith.
Given Wisconsin performance this season, Tonje's inclusion with the best players in the country isn't a surprise. Wisconsin was overlooked by virtually everyone prior to the 2024-25 slate. The team then went 23-8 during the regular season, plus 13-7 in a tough Big Ten Conference. It is currently in line for a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament, pending the result of the conference tournament.
Individually, Tonje delivered as impressive a statistical season as any player in the sport. In 31 regular season starts, the North Omaha, Nebraska, native averaged 18.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 31 minutes per contest. His efficiency -- 46.0% shooting from the floor, 37.8% from outside and 91.6% from the free throw line -- provided Greg Gard with a reliable closing option on the offensive end of the court.
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗲 𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗯𝗮𝗹𝗹 ⭐️ Introducing our 2025 Jersey Mike's Naismith Men's College Player of the Year Semifinalists 🏀 @jerseymikes | #JerseyMikesNaismith2025 pic.twitter.com/rnG2obAE3j
— Naismith Awards (@NaismithTrophy) March 14, 2025
Tonje's legend within the program could blossom even further with a deep run in the 2025 NCAA Tournament. Thanks to his play, the Badgers have as good a chance as ever to snap a Sweet Sixteen drought that extends back to 2016-17.
Before then, Tonje will captain the Badgers through the 2025 Big Ten Tournament. Wisconsin earned a seven-point win over Northwestern on March 13, a contest during which Tonje dropped 18 points. It is currently facing UCLA in the tournament quarterfinal.
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This article originally appeared on Badgers Wire: Wisconsin basketball John Tonje Naismith Award semifinalist
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