Former Wisconsin Guard John Tonje Makes NBA Summer League Debut
After being sidelined with an ankle injury, former Wisconsin guard John Tonje made his NBA Summer League debut with the Utah Jazz on Monday…and it was a good one.
Getting the start, Tonje scored 16 points on 5-of-9 shooting, including 4-of-7 from 3-point range. Tonje also dished out three assists and grabbed three rebounds in 23 minutes. The Jazz would ultimately lose to the San Antonio Spurs in overtime, but Tonje had a key go-ahead bucket late in the fourth quarter.
Tonje was the 53rd overall pick in the second round by the Jazz in June’s NBA Draft.
A first-team All-Big Ten pick in 2024-25, Tonje led the Badgers to 27 wins. He averaged 19.6 points and 5.3 rebounds per game for Wisconsin, while shooting 46.5 percent from the floor, including 38.8 percent from 3-point range. Tonje had six 30-point games, including a career-high 41 in a win over Arizona on Nov. 15. Tonje became the first player since Kemba Walker to register three 30-point efforts in wins over Top 10 foes.
The Omaha, Neb. native was the first Badger selected in the NBA Draft since Johnny Davis in 2022 and the 44th player in UW history to get the call. Since 2004, Tonje, Davis, Frank Kaminsky, Sam Dekker, Alando Tucker, and Jon Leuer are the lone former Badgers to hear their names selected in the draft.
