John Tonje, a former Wisconsin star in contention for major college basketball award

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Wisconsin star wing John Tonje made the Naismith Trophy Midseason Team on Friday.

The newly-released list includes 30 standouts from the 2024-25 college basketball season to date. It provides an updated look at the contenders to take home the prestigious award when the season concludes.

Tonje made the list along with notable stars from across the sport, including Duke’s Cooper Flagg, Michigan’s Danny Wolf, Purdue’s Braden Smith and Trey Kaufman-Renn, Alabama’s Mark Sears, Gonzaga’s Ryan Nembhard, Marquette’s Kam Jones, Illinois’ Kasparas Jakucionis, Kansas’ Hunter Dickinson, Auburn’s Johni Broome and, of note to Badgers fans, former Wisconsin and currently Louisville point guard Chucky Hepburn.

Tonje leads the No. 16-ranked Wisconsin Badgers with per-game averages of 18.6 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists on 46.8% shooting, 40% from three and 91.7% from the free throw line. Those numbers are all career-bests for the sixth-year senior and former Colorado State standout.

Hepburn, meanwhile, has excelled in his first year at Louisville. The former Wisconsin star averages 15 points, 3.4 rebounds, 6.2 assists and 2.3 steals per game on career-best 43% shooting from the floor, 34% from three and 84.6% from the free-throw line. Hepburn is amid a career year, leading a Louisville team that sits in second place in the ACC, just one game behind first-place Duke.

Both Tonje and Hepburn face uphill battles to win the award. Flagg is currently the prohibitive favorite, with per-game averages of 19.8 points, 7.6 rebounds and four assists, leading a Duke team that currently sits at No. 3 in the AP Poll.

Wisconsin basketball’s last, and only, recipient of the award was Frank Kaminsky in 2015.

Tonje can bolster his Naismith Award chances with a statement performance in the Badgers’ game at Purdue on Saturday afternoon. Wisconsin enters the matchup as a sizable road underdog. Its path to victory may rest squarely on the shoulders of its star wing.

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/john-tonje-former-wisconsin-star-152441874.html

Author : Badgers Wire

Publish date : 2025-02-15 15:24:00

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