Utah Jazz reveal former Wisconsin basketball star John Tonje's jersey number
Tonje, who was drafted by the Jazz with the No. 53 overall pick of the 2025 NBA draft, will be the team's first #17 in five years. Forward Ed Davis, who enjoyed a 12-year NBA career, last wore the jersey number for the franchise in 2020.
Throughout his collegiate career, Tonje wore #1 with Colorado State from 2019-23, #5 with Missouri during the 2022-23 slate and #9 with Wisconsin during the 2024-25 season, the year during which the 6-foot-5 wing rose to stardom.
The second-team All-America and first-team All-Big Ten team member burst onto the national scene in several high-profile contests during his final year of college, including during UW's NCAA Tournament defeat at the hands of the BYU Cougars in Denver, Colorado. Tonje dropped a game-best 37 points, the most by any Badger in an NCAA Tournament game ever.
Across 37 games, the Nebraska native averaged 19.6 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game off 46.5% shooting from the field, 39% from 3 and 91% from the free-throw line. He dropped 41 points against No. 9 Arizona in November, 32 against No. 7 Purdue on the road in February and another 32 against the Michigan State Spartans in the 2025 Big Ten Tournament.
The former Badger will now take his talents to Salt Lake City, the same area where he will begin his NBA Summer League journey. The Jazz kick-start their summer slate with a three-day circuit at the Jon M. Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, from July 5-7 before making the trek to Las Vegas the following week.
There, Tonje will sport #17 against the Philadelphia 76ers, Memphis Grizzlies and Oklahoma City Thunder a week before the Jazz square off against the New Orleans Hornets (July 11), Golden State Warriors (July 13), San Antonio Spurs (July 14) and Washington Wizards (July 16) in Las Vegas. He will look to showcase his ceiling behind guards Jaden Spring, Isaiah Collier and Walter Clayton Jr.
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