Ad Disclosure
Missouri earns transfer commitment from dynamic former Colorado State guard
Published:
Missouri turned in its best season on the hardwood since joining the SEC in Dennis Gates’ first year at the helm, and it looks like the momentum from that 25-win campaign will continue into the offseason.
The Tigers landed a commitment from former Colorado State guard John Tonje on Monday. A 6-foot-5, 222-pound guard from Omaha, Nebraska, Tonje is a dynamic player on the offensive end who developed well over his 4 seasons with the Rams. He’ll join Mizzou as a grad transfer with one year to play.
After a sixth-man-like role off the bench for CSU during the 2021-22 season — when he averaged 9.1 points in 25.3 minutes — Tonje stepped into a full-time starting role this past season. He played a career-best 31 minutes a night, shot a career-best 47% from the field, and supplied a career-best 14.6 points a night.
Tonje has the ability to knock down shots on the perimeter or back down smaller guards and take them to the block. Though not tasked as much of a playmaker, he also upped his assists to 1.3 a game this past season while averaging 4.7 boards.
Per Rock M Nation’s Matt Harris, Tonje was in the top 10% of Division 1 players this season in halfcourt efficiency (1.066 points per possession) and connected on 39.8% of his catch-and-shoot jumpers.
The Tigers are set to lose their 2nd- and 3rd-leading scorers with guards D’Moi Hodge and DeAndre Gholston both exhausting their eligibility. Kobe Brown, the team’s leading scorer, also has a decision to make regarding his last year of eligibility. As of publication, he has yet to make a public announcement one way or the other.
View this post on Instagram
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
