It was a tough scene in the post-game press conference. Four people were sitting at the table taking questions from reporters. Three of them were players: John Blackwell, Steven Crowl, and John Tonje. The final person was Greg Gard, who would close the post-game presser by himself. The mood was dejected and disappointed. The reporters did their best to ask questions but without pushing anyone too far into awkward sadness.
Of course, Gard had some important and poignant things to say, but one question that went to John Tonje had him reflecting on his final game and those final moments that encapsulated the entire season. The question was about how they were able to climb back into it, but Tonje seemingly said a lot more about his team and the nature of the 2025 Wisconsin Badgers.
John Tonje reflects on the final moments in the BYU game, and it captures the entire season
"We just believed in each other. We just kept fighting back, we kept encouraging each other, letting each other know what was at stake. I'm proud of the guys for fighting to get back in the game and giving everything we had. "John Tonje
It was a brutal way to end the season, but Tonje was able to resurrect his career at Wisconsin. He was an unheralded player out of Colorado Stae who transferred to Missouri for his final season, but an injury derailed that plan and sent him back in the portal with an "injury eligibility" for his true final season as a Badger. He then went crazy, arguably the best player in the Big Ten, 2nd Team All-American, averaging over 19 points a game. Finishing his career with 37 points in a rally that came short of beating BYU and advancing to the Sweet 16.
It was a tough ending but it was an amazing season and John Tonje is at the center of it all.