Badgers guard John Tonje named Big Ten and national player of the week

Tonje put up 41 points on No. 9 Arizona on Friday night.

Nov 15, 2024; Madison, Wisconsin, USA;Arizona guard Jaden Bradley (0) fouls Wisconsin guard John Tonje (9) during the second half of their game Friday, November 15, 2024 at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wisconsin. Mandatory Credit: Mark Hoffman/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images / Mark Hoffman/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

After dropping 41 points on No. 9 Arizona, Badgers guard John Tonje has been named both the AP national player of the week and Big Ten men's basketball player of the week.

Tonje's career day helped the Badgers to a 103-88 upset of then-No. 9 Arizona on Friday night. The 6-foot-5 guard became the first player in the last 30 years to score 40 points and make 20 free throws against an AP Top 10 opponent.

Big Ten Player of the Week

Well deserved, @johntonje1 🫡

📰 | https://t.co/XHoR0oOE6W pic.twitter.com/2QbVbAmyvO

— Wisconsin Basketball (@BadgerMBB) November 18, 2024

The North Omaha, Nebraska native has made an instant impact for Wisconsin this season. Tonje is averaging 22.6 points and 5.0 rebounds per game to start the season while shooting 47 of 49 from the free throw line. The sixth-year grad student transferred to Wisconsin from Missouri after spending four seasons at Colorado State.

Tonje is the first Badger to take home the Big Ten award since Johnny Davis did it in February 2022. It's his first ever player of the week award.

After the upset win, Wisconsin jumped into the AP Top-25 for the first time this season, coming in at No. 19. They held off a scare from UT Rio Grande Valley on Monday and will next take on UCF on Friday afternoon.

Wisconsin's John Tonje is the AP national player of the week in men’s college hoops. He dropped 41 points vs. No. 17 Arizona, just 2 shy of the school record, and is averaging 23.5 points this season. https://t.co/DWcm3Wt2SP pic.twitter.com/qj1NdHzMgB

— AP Top 25 (@AP_Top25) November 19, 2024