The Wisconsin basketball team has been working difficult to replace the group of guards it lost to the transfer portal by acquiring a talented guard.
John Tonjewere Missouri Tigers guard, entered the transfer portal shortly before committing to the Wisconsin basketball program. Tonje began his college basketball career with Colorado State University and after four seasons, the quarterback transferred to Missouri. Now, Wisconsin is hoping Tonje can return to play at CSU for his senior year.
Wisconsin basketball players take potential risk with point guard John Tonje
For the Wisconsin basketball staff, sometimes success doesn’t come without taking calculated risks, and one of those commitments may be a question mark. Missouri guard John Tonje will spend his final year of eligibility with the Wisconsin basketball team, which will be his third with the program. Tonje is a statuesque, 6-foot-6 point guard who still possesses excellent speed.
Tonje is one season removed from his best collegiate season, which came last season with Colorado State UniversityThe guard averaged 14.6 points and 4.6 rebounds per game while shooting 47.3 percent from the field. Tonje also shot 38.9 percent from distance and averaged nearly two three-pointers per game.
Tonje transferred to Missouri after four seasons at Colorado State and has been dealt a lot of adversity, injuries and an inability to break into the lineup. The guard struggled and narrow play certainly didn’t lend a hand his cause. However, both Tonje and the Wisconsin basketball staff believe he can return to his former form this upcoming season.
A Year After Success. Can Tonje Return to Form?
While injuries may have slowed Tonje down a bit last season, what really killed the point guard was his 28% turnover rate in just eight games played. His turnovers weren’t a reason to try to do something, but were often more of a mental mistake that slowed both the point guard and the team down.
There’s no doubt that his lone season at Missouri wasn’t representative of the player Tonje is. The guard has struggled with interceptions throughout his career, but his play on the court with the Tigers was otherwise solid, as he shot 50 percent from the field and made seven straight free throws.
Tonje certainly has potential, but the real question is whether he will be able to put it all back together like he did two seasons ago.
What does Tonje have to offer the Wisconsin Badgers basketball team?
When Tonje is hearty and playing to his potential, the guard is a animated shooter who likes to put pressure on the rim. In his low game last season, Tonje shot 67 percent from near the rim, which accounted for 25 percent of his field goal attempts. The guard is also adept on the right side of the court, shooting 50 percent from the right side, which accounted for 34 percent of his shot selection.
In particular, the right baseline and the top right corner of the three-point line are two of Tonje’s most effective spots on the court. The defender also loves to shoot from deep in the left corner, where he averaged one attempt per game two seasons ago.
If needed, the guard can also become a pull-up shooter who can stop in a heartbeat to throw down buckets from the elbow. Tonje had great success with mid-range pull-ups while at Colorado, but for some reason he veered away from that last season. Getting back to his senior shooting habits could be the key to turning his game around.
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