ESPN GameDay thinks it’s a no-brainer that John Tonje is Big Ten Player of the Year
The Wisconsin Badgers have a rare opportunity to not only take on a top-10 opponent in the No. 8 Michigan State Spartans but also do it on a Sunday midday in a standalone CBS matchup. That leads to a lot more noses poking around and eyeballs on the product. ESPN College GameDay was one of those crews that have been paying attention to Wisconsin and even went All-Access with John Tonje this week in preparation for the Spartans.
“He has great understanding of the game, combined with that IQ and footwork, he’s a matchup nightmare because of his size and frame.”@CollegeGameDay went All-Access with #Badgers John Tonje pic.twitter.com/X2PEo7hUYR
— Wisconsin Basketball (@BadgerMBB) March 2, 2025
John Tonje is turning heads and ESPN is now considering him the favorite to win the Big Ten Player of the Year
There is a lot in the above video that the Wisconsin Badgers social media team clipped from ESPN College GameDay, but one particular moment came after Jay Williams dumped praise all over John Tonje, calling him a matchup nightmare because of his physicality, size, and frame. Andraya Carter had a turn to talk and she said something that will get Badger fans excited.
“Embracing physicality as a guard is huge. He is so much fun to watch. Player of the Year in the conference, we would say, we would agree? “Andraya Carter
The rest of the crew all nodded and one said, “It’s turning into that path.” And she goes on to say, “I agree.” With Braden Smith not playing well as of late and turning the ball over at alarming rates, it does seem like it may be Tonje’s award to lose. He is sitting at 19.5 points, 4.9 rebounds on 48% shooting before the Michigan State game tips off. That’s one of the best stat lines in the conference and he’s doing it on a program that’s winning and making noise in the NCAA tournament projections.
Now, the Badgers take on the Michigan State Spartans later today and all those noses poking around will be watching to see how John Tonje plays.
