John Tonje Has Entered the Player of the Year Conversation

It only took four games, but transfer John Tonje has established himself as a Wisconsin legend already. His 41-point outburst in the Badgers' win against No. 9 Arizona will go down as one of the all-time best performances for Wisconsin. And along with it, he's submitted his name to the national player of the year conversation.

In his postgame press conference, Greg Gard said it took him all of five minutes of watching film to know he wanted Tonje on campus. So far the returns are more than anyone could have imagined. His ability to score from anywhere, including the free throw line, and all around feel for the game, has led him to a 23.5 points per game average on 56% shooting. The new Badger has now found himself getting some early recognition after his dominant performance against a top-10 team.

In KenPom's Player of the Year rankings, Tonje has rocketed all the way up to 10th. Considering he sat out most of all last season due to injury, and has only been a Badger for four games, it's a true meteoric rise for the veteran player. Wisconsin had been hoping to find a decent replacement for AJ Storr, and they got all they wanted and more.

When asked about what Tonje brings to the team, Gard said, "He listens, he's very attentive, he asks great questions, and he's really mature. All those things help make him the player that he is."

It would be a long-shot to win, and the Badgers haven't had anyone in consideration since Frank Kaminsky, but Tonje has shown he's the engine of this team. It's only November, but seeing such early success is great to have, considering he has all season to get even better.