Before Tuesday’s action, John Tonje’s 2024-25 season was already cemented as one of the most impressive in recent program history. His performance in the Badgers’ win over Illinois reaffirmed that notion.
In 31 minutes of action, the North Omaha, Nebraska, native dropped 31 points off 9-of-15 shooting from the field, 3-of-5 from outside and 10-of-12 from the free throw line. He also added three rebounds and four steals in the blowout victory.
Tonje’s knack for putting the ball in the cylinder isn’t new to Badger fans. After walking off the hardwood scoreless in UW’s Jan. 18 win over USC, the sixth-year graduate student has finished with at least 20 points in seven of his last eight appearances. He’s also chalked up at least 30 in his previous two contests.
With the 31-point effort, Tonje became the first Badger to tally four games of at least 30 points in a season since Rick Olson did so during the 1985-86 campaign. To put that into context, not even program greats like Michael Finley, Frank Kaminsky, or Johnny Davis achieved that feat.
Furthermore, Tonje joined Finley (1994) as the only player in program history to log consecutive 30-point outings.
🔥 31 PTS
🔥 9-15 FG
🔥 10-12 FT
🔥 3 REB
🔥 4 STLJohn Tonje records his 4th 3️⃣0️⃣-point game this season in @BadgerMBB‘s win against Illinois 🙌
He is the 1st Badger to have four in a season since Rick Olson had five in 1985-86.#B1GMBBall pic.twitter.com/kH7D1AQC0B
— Big Ten Men’s Basketball (@B1GMBBall) February 19, 2025
Arguably, the most impressive facet of Tonje’s offensive arsenal is his shooting efficiency. Through 26 performances, he’s just 1.5 percentage points (48.5% from the floor) away from joining the coveted 50-40-90 club. The most recent player to accomplish that was former Virginia and current New Orleans Pelicans guard Trey Murphy III in 2020-21.
Tonje’s breakthrough games against top competition have turned his season into a national story. At this rate, the star wing could finish as an All-American, plus contend for the 2025 Big Ten Player of the Year award. He may even climb into the periphery of Wooden Award conversations alongside the likes of Duke’s Cooper Flagg and Auburn’s Johni Broome.
Tonje will lead the Badgers back on the court on Saturday afternoon against a dangerous Oregon team. Since the Ducks are another formidable opponent, it’s safe to assume the rising star will be at his best.
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This article originally appeared on Badgers Wire: Wisconsin basketball Illinois recap John Tonje program scoring record
