MADISON, Wis. – John Tonje could sense the wave of excitement headed his way.
With a towel draped over his shoulder to wipe the sweat generated by his 25-point second half, the most valuable player of the Greenbrier Tip-Off was in front of the television cameras when his teammates mobbed him.
And if that wasn’t enough, fans chanting and cheering his name after his 33-point performance lifted No.19 Wisconsin over Pittsburgh urged him to celebrate with some of those in attendance.
“It was special,” Tonje said. “We wanted to come out here and get the win. We also had the greatest crowd out of all four teams here. We just wanted to give a moment for them to bask in the glory, have some fun, and build some memories with our friends and brothers.”
His seamless transition into Wisconsin’s program has been one of the main reasons the Badgers (7-0) are off to their best start in 10 years and rose to No.15 in this week’s Associated Press Top 25 poll.
Tonje is second in the Big Ten in scoring at 22.0 ppg, reaching double figures in all seven games and scoring 15 in six outings. In three games against Power-Four conference teams, Tonje has averaged 29.7 points and 6.3 rebounds, shot 53.2 percent from the floor and 34-for-36 from the free-throw line.
He’s the first Wisconsin player to win consecutive conference Player of the Week honors since Ethan Happ in 2018 and the first Division I player to score 33 or more against two high major opponents in November over the last 15 years
“It’s like he’s been here four years,” head coach Greg Gard said. “He’s fit in perfectly within the culture because he’s a really good person. He cares about his team. He cares about winning. As I addressed the team (Sunday), as long as you keep those things as your primary focus about the team and winning, the individual accolades will come.”
Navigating the transfer portal is new college coaches, recruiting college-aged prospects at a frantic pace. It’s also a daring game of chance. Recruit the right prospect and it could serve as a team’s missing piece. Bring in the wrong player, especially to a veteran locker room and it could destroy the chemistry in the locker room before the season begins.
Gard has always taken a selective approach when offering scholarships to high school recruits, making sure the off-the-court character matches the skills he sees on the court. He doesn’t always have that luxury with how quickly things move in the portal, and knowing he couldn’t wait too long to find a replacement on the wing vacated by leading-scorer A.J. Storr’s departure to Kansas.
He almost waited too long with Tonje, who had nearly committed to New Mexico when the Wisconsin coaching staff reached out to gauge his interest. Gard cited Tonje’s size, strength, and ability to score as huge pluses but watching film with him and seeing how Tonje’s conducted himself during the official visit convinced him the fit was right.
“You could just tell right away that he fit our culture,” said graduate forward Steven Crowl of Tonje. “Even before I was here, there’s been a culture that has been passed down through the years, and the coaches recruit guys who fit that culture. It’s easy to root for him and easy to play with him.”
Added Gard: “You want to make sure you have people in your program that have the right mindset, the mindset of helping their teammates. Obviously, you have to have talented players who are willing to immerse themselves within the fabric of the team. John has done that terrifically.”
Tonje has proven that he’s willing to take coaching, ask questions, and be humble.
In a one-minute stretch during Sunday’s first half, Tonje gave up a basket at the rim off a back cut, took an ill-advised 3-point shot, and then traveled. Gard sat him down for two minutes to slow down his pace and get him refocused.
The response was noticeable: 2-for-2 from the floor and 4-for-4 from the line in the final 7:47 of the first half and 9-for-11 overall (6-for-6 from the line) in the second half to lead a 14-point comeback.
“You don’t rebound from not a great start and me pulling him out if your mind is on the wrong things,” Gard said. “His mind is on the right things, and he’s able to refocus and go back in and try to help our team.”
Instead of a trophy, Wisconsin was presented with a WWE-style championship belt following Sunday’s victory. Guard John Blackwell wasted no time in saying Tonje would get the honor of wearing the belt on the flight home. Tonje laughed but said the belt would happily be passed so everyone could get pictures.
It was another example of Tonje enjoying being a part of his new brotherhood.
“I want this to be the place I come back to and visit after I’m done with college,” he said. “I want this to be my home after. I only have a limited amount of time, but I just want my teammates to know that I am here to build life-long relationships. They’ve embraced me. The city has embraced me. I am doing everything I can to compete for the name on the front of the jersey.”
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