John Tonje has done what he does best: go from under the radar to turning heads at the NBA Draft Combine. That's exactly what he did at Wisconsin. Coming in, he was seen as a depth guy and maybe a flyer prospect off of an injury. He then went on to become arguably the best player in the Big Ten in one season. He now heads into the NBA Draft.
At the NBA Combine, he repeated that pattern. He went from being a fairly unheralded player, with many thinking he could be undrafted. Most projecting him to be picked around 45. However, he turned heads once again, and according to one NBA scout, he could be a first-round pick.
NBA Scout calls John Tonje a potential first-round pick, "somewhere between 25-45."
According to Gery Woelfel, who interviewed an Easter Conference NBA Scout at the NBA Combine, the full quote that he posted on X is: "He had a really good season there (at Wisconsin), and he’s been good here (at the NBA Draft Combine). He’s got a wide (draft) range, like from 25 to 45, but I could see him going in the first round."
This is excellent news for Tonje, who doesn't have the same choice as other players to come back and play again for Wisconsin. He's 24 years old and has used all five years of eligibility. He would love the security of landing in the draft and making an NBA roster.
He has done a great job in the NBA Draft Combine in various capacities. His measurements came back as better than expected. He was a top-5 shooter in the shooting drills. He then had a really strong second scrimmage by scoring 17 points and stuffing the stats in various other ways. He projects to be a really solid depth piece in the NBA.