As one of the top scorers in the nation at this point, John Tonje has showcased a translatable offensive game but still has room to improve as a prospect.
The No. 20 Wisconsin Badgers currently sit at 8-2 on the season, following back-to-back losses to Michigan and Marquette. This strong start is due in no small part to the significant impact from transfer guard John Tonje. He has been highly productive in his final year of eligibility, and despite being an older draft prospect, his strong offensive skill set and scoring efficiency make him an intriguing prospect for NBA teams.
Let’s take a closer look at Tonje’s performance through his first ten games of the season and how he has quickly reshaped the narrative regarding his NBA potential. Through his first ten games of the year, Tonje has averaged 21.5 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 0.8 steals on impressive shooting splits of 49.1% from the field, 41.7% from three and 93.1% from the free-throw line. He primarily serves as a scorer for the Badgers and has delivered several massive performances against high-level opponents. Tonje has excelled at drawing fouls near the rim, collecting easy points from the free-throw line.
His biggest performance of the year so far came in a 103-88 upset victory over Arizona, where Tonje scored a career-high 41 points, along with six rebounds, one assist and one steal. He was highly efficient in this outing, connecting on 8-of-14 field goals, 4-of-6 from deep and a staggering 21-of-22 from the free-throw line. He took over the game offensively and showed promising signs of his ability to attack off the dribble.
In terms of areas for improvement that could help his draft stock, the primary focus should be on his passing and defensive impact. As a playmaker, Tonje does a good job scoring out of pick-and-roll sets, but expanding his ability to hit his bigs could further raise his ceiling as an NBA player. He projects as a primarily off-ball player at the next level, but developing his playmaking skills would undoubtedly enhance his value.
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