Where does John Tonje’s 41-point game rank in Wisconsin Badgers men’s basketball history?

John Tonje, welcome to Badgers immortality.

On Friday, the transfer from Missouri dropped 41 points, finishing two shy of Frank Kaminsky’s school record for single-game scoring, and the Badgers knocked off No. 9 Arizona, 103-88, in a performance that ended with Wisconsin fans storming the Kohl Center court.

Wisconsin guard John Tonje (9) is fouled by Arizona center Motiejus Krivas (14) during the second half of their game Friday, November 15, 2024 at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wisconsin.

It’s officially the fourth-highest single-game scoring performance in Badgers history.

Kaminsky, who was at the game as the Badgers commemorated the 10-year anniversary of the 2015 national finalists, scored 43 against North Dakota in 2013, a game that can easily be called the breakthrough moment for an eventual Naismith Player of the Year.

A look at the other top-scoring games in “modern” Badgers history, with the caveat that the all-time (pre-1950s) record is held by Chris Steinmetz, who scored 50 points in 1905.

43 points: Frank Kaminsky (Nov. 19, 2013, vs. North Dakota)

A year before he earned the Naismith Player of the Year honor, Kaminsky delivered an absolute star-turn performance, hitting 16 of 19 shots in the fourth game of the season. It marked an incredible arrival for a junior who had just five double-digit scoring performances in his career before that 103-85 win, with a career-best of 19. He came into the night averaging 3.2 points per game in 70 UW contests.

He exited the game with 41 points and 4:37 left, drawing boos from the Kohl Center crowd. Players convinced coach Bo Ryan to put Kaminsky back in with 3 minutes left, and he eventually scored with 1:13 to go to set the UW record. Kaminsky blossomed from there, leading the Badgers to back-to-back Final Fours, including the 2015 national-championship game.

42 points: Ken Barnes (March 8, 1965, vs. Indiana)

In the final game of the season, the Badgers actually lost, 92-73, despite the record-shattering performance from Barnes,…

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Author : Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Publish date : 2024-11-16 17:21:00

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