The NBA released its list of 75 players invited to the 2025 NBA Draft Combine earlier this week, and Wisconsin Badgers star guard John Tonje earned an invite, getting a chance to showcase his athleticism during the next part of the draft process.
Tonje, an All-American this year, had a stellar season, averaging 19.6 points and 5.3 rebounds while shooting 46.5 percent from the field and 38.8 percent from three as the leader of a top-15 team in the nation.
He was a revelation after averaging just 2.6 points per game across eight contests in 2023-24 for the Missouri Tigers before going down with a season-ending injury. Now, he’ll get his chance to impress at the Combine with the hopes of getting selected in next month’s NBA Draft.
One notable name who didn’t make the Combine list was star guard John Blackwell, further indicating that he likely will not go pro this offseason. Blackwell had elected to test the waters and receive feedback, but kept his college eligibility and maintained that he would return only to Wisconsin if he didn’t go the pro route.
With the lack of a Combine invite, returning to Wisconsin should be the expectation for Blackwell.
The Badgers have done quite a bit of work in the transfer portal this offseason. Blackwell’s return should pair him alongside San Diego State transfer Nick Boyd in the backcourt, allowing him to be more of an off-ball player in 2025-26.