Assessing John Tonje, John Blackwell, and Ace Bailey in the Wisconsin-Rutgers Game

January 6th, 2025

Today, I decided to take the time to watch Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper play for Rutgers against Wisconsin in a college basketball game. I was hoping that they would both dominate and show the college world that they are future NBA All-Stars. Instead, neither of them dominated, as Harper was held scoreless as he battled the flu, and Bailey put forth an interesting, but uneven performance, as he took a lot of tough, contested shots that hurt his shooting percentages, and Wisconsin had the better overall game, as the Badgers ended up getting the win instead. Here are my thoughts on how Bailey and other various prospects fared in this game.

Wisconsin’s 6-5 senior guard, John Tonje scored 15 points, and had 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks, and 1 steal in his team’s 75-63 win over Rutgers. (Photo: Ed Mulholland/Getty Images)

John Tonje played well to help Wisconsin get a win over Rutgers. The senior guard showed off versatile scoring skills, and he also rebounded and defended well to help his team get the victory.

He did a decent job of scoring off the dribble. Tonje was able to use a pivot and a pump fake move to score on a strong move around the basket. He also managed to score on a crafty, reverse layup due to possessing the strength, balance, and finishing ability to do so. On the downside, sometimes he would struggle to finish against length and athleticism, as he had a couple of his shots blocked in this game.

He also was able to score on a quick cut to the hoop. Tonje was able to make a quick, step-back three smoothly, as well as a fadeaway mid-range jumper to showcase his shooting skills, but he also struggled to make threes consistently from beyond the arc.

He also showcased adequate playmaking skills. Tonje was able to find a roll man to notch an assist, and he generally did a good job of finding the open man to set up scores for his teammates. On the other hand, he dropped a pass out of bounds that led to a turnover, and he also threw an ill-advised jump pass that got intercepted another time.

Also, he did a great job of rebounding the basketball. Tonje also played satisfactory defense in this game. He was able to rotate to block a shot off of a drive out of bounds. He also rotated to contest a pull-up, mid-range jumper to force a miss. On the other hand, he was called for committing a reach-in foul on a loose ball another time.

Overall, Tonje is a strong, crafty scorer that had a solid all-around game to help his team get a win over Rutgers. He quietly played well on both ends of the floor, and he could end up finding a way to make it to the NBA someday.

John Blackwell led all players with 21 points in this game, and he also had 4 rebounds and 3 assists to help Wisconsin get a 75-63 win over Rutgers. (Photo: Vincent Carchietta/Imagn Images, via Wisconsin Sports Heroics)

John Blackwell also had a solid showing to help lead Wisconsin to a double-digit win over Rutgers. The 6-4 sophomore guard, showed off versatile scoring skills, and he played patiently, as he excelled as a shot maker on offense.

Blackwell showed a satisfactory ability to score off the dribble. He is a patient player that can score on strong drives to the hoop, and he also an absorb the contact to get to the foul line. Plus, he also was able to use an overhead ball fake to score on a turnaround, fadeaway jumper out of the post. On the downside, sometimes he would take tough shots in traffic, as he ended up having a couple of his shots blocked.

He also showed an adequate ability to knock down outside shots. Blackwell was able to pull up to make a mid-range jumper. He also knocked down a corner three in this game. He was fairly streaky with his outside shot, but he was able to show that he is a three-level scorer on offense.

He also showcased fairly average playmaking skills. For the positives, Blackwell generally showed that he can make passes both off the dribble and on the break, and he can find teammates on the move to set up scores for them. However, he tended to be called for committing offensive fouls late in the game when driving to the hoop, as he would tend to push off to try to get that extra bit of separation. He also was indecisive once, as he threw a jump pass that sailed out of bounds.

Also, Blackwell was able to get his fair share of boards to help his team chip in on the glass. Defensively, he was able to get a steal, but sometimes would pick up fouls in this game. In summary, John Blackwell played well, as he especially excelled as a shot maker, especially when driving to the hoop to score on offense. He’ll need to be a more consistent shooter from long range, and he may need to show NBA teams that he can reliably run the point at higher levels, but Blackwell is a skilled scorer that could make it to the NBA one day.

Rutgers’ freshmen phenoms, Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper were certainly disappointing today, as Harper battled the flu and was ineffective, as he was held scoreless by Wisconsin. Bailey didn’t fare much better, as the 6-9 freshman forward scored just 9 points on 3 of 16 shooting, and made just 1 of 5 threes, but he had 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 1 block in his team’s dougle-digit loss to Wisconsin.
(Photo: Andrew Mills/NJ Advance Media, via NJ.com)

Ace Bailey didn’t have a great game, but he is a tall, very athletic forward that showed some promise on both ends of the floor, and while he shot the ball poorly overall, he showed off the potential for dynamic shot making, as well as the potential to develop into a versatile, multi-positional defender for the next level.

Bailey showed a satisfactory ability to score out of the post. He was able to score on a turnaround jumper from the baseline. He also showed a knack for maneuvering to make rip moves in order to draw fouls upon his defenders and get to the free throw line. He also showed that he is adept at drawing free throws when creating shots for himself off the dribble.

Plus, he also ran off of a ball screen and dribbled to make a pull-up, long two. Bailey also got the ball on a dribble handoff to make an open three, as he showcased his shooting skills. However, he tended to take a lot of tough, difficult shots, as he would either take them too quickly, or would often take contested, low percentage shots that would result in misses.

Also, Bailey showcased perhaps fairly average playmaking skills. Though he primarily looked to score, Bailey was able to swing the ball to a corner shooter to notch an assist. He also can make passes off the dribble when he elects to move the basketball. He also took good care of the basketball. However, he didn’t really look to pass the ball often, and in this game, he often would choose to settle for contested, low-percentage shots instead.

He also showed a fairly solid ability to rebound the basketball. Bailey also defended well. He is a very athletic, rangy defender that can cover a lot of ground. He was able to stay with his man on a baseline drive to block a shot off of him out of bounds. He also would get his hands on passes to get steals and deflections. He also cut off penetration when defending opponents off the dribble, and he would close out on shooters to force misses. On the downside, he would sometimes play too wildly and aggressively, which would lead him to commit fouls on the defensive end.

Overall, Ace Bailey is a very talented prospect that has immense potential, but this game also showed his weaknesses as a player in games. He tends to take very difficult shots, and in this game, his penchant for taking low-percentage shots may have helped lead him to have a rough shooting night. In addition, he tends to put on blinders on offense, so he often doesn’t look for his teammates, and he plays with a heavy score-first mentality, so the bad shooting nights he may have would often get compounded, because he rarely gets assists on offense.

On the other hand, he still had a solid defensive night, and the shots he made, and free throws generated still showed off his vast potential. While Bailey may still have the upside to potentially develop into an NBA All-Star in the future, he also can be prone to bad shooting nights and shot selection, and frequent bouts of tunnel vision, so an NBA team will have to decide if the risk would be worth it for them to select him. Most likely, he will end up being selected in the lottery of the 2025 draft, as this performance can be chalked up to one bad game out of a fairly long season.

Steven Crowl put forth a strong performance to help his team get a win over Rutgers. He is a tall, mobile center that had a solid all-around game, and he especially played well on both ends of the floor to help his team get the victory.

Crowl did a good job of knocking down threes, as he was able to make a couple of open, spot-up threes off the catch to showcase his shooting prowess. He also excelled at scoring out of the post, and he was able to utilize an overhead ball fake to score, as he showcased solid footwork and scoring touch that time. Crowl also showed a proficiency for scoring on put backs, and he also ran in to score on a tip slam.

He also showcased solid playmaking skills. Crowl is an unselfish player that did a good job of finding teammates on the move to notch assists, and he would find the open man due to possessing solid court vision. On the other hand, he was also a bit turnover prone in this game. When posting up once, he got the ball stripped away from him to commit a turnover. He also was called for setting a moving screen another time.

Also, Crowl did a great job of rebounding the basketball, and he would frequently haul in boards on both ends of the floor to help his team on the glass. He also defended well. Crowl was able to intercept a pass to get a steal. He also blocked a shot off of a roll to a teammate. He also contested a three to force a miss. Generally, he would use his size, length, and positioning to help his team get stops.

Overall, Crowl played very well to help his team get a win over Rutgers. He hasn’t put up gaudy stats on the season, but his size, skill set, and versatility could enable him to make it to the NBA someday.

Rutgers’ 6-4 senior guard, Tyson Acuff had a satisfactory showing in his team’s loss to Wisconsin. As Harper battled with the flu and wasn’t effective in this game, someone needed to step up to produce on offense, and Acuff was that guy for them tonight. In fact,, he was the only player on Rutgers’ team to score in double figures tonight, as he scored 17 points in this game.

Acuff is an agile, skilled combo guard that thrives as a shot maker. He surprisingly hasn’t received much playing time, but he really put his scoring skills on display in this game. In this game, Acuff excelled at making outside shots to help provide his team with some much needed floor spacing. He would pull up to knock down mid-range jumpers smoothly, and he also made a tough pull-up three from beyond the arc. Acuff also shot the three-ball well, as he showed that he can make them off the catch or dribble. He generally showed a decent ability to score off the dribble, and while he was less effective when trying to go all the way to the hoop to score, Acuff was able to go to his left to score on a quick floater once.

He also showcased decent playmaking skills. Acuff generally passed and handled the ball well, and he also showed that he can be a primary ball handler on offense. He was able to make a quick drive and kick pass to notch an assist. He also ran the floor and dished it to a teammate on a give and go to get another assist. On the downside, there was one play where he threw a hasty pass off the dribble that got intercepted. Overall, Acuff hasn’t played quite as well on the season, but this looks to be a promising game that he can build off of. He’ll need to be a more consistent shooter in games, and his shooting percentages should rise with more playing time, and if he plays up to his abilities, he could project into a microwave scorer type of role at the NBA level.

Dylan Grant had an adequate showing in his team’s loss to Wisconsin. The 6-7 freshman Canadian forward received substantial, meaningful playing time, and he is an athletic, skilled forward that showed some promise on both ends of the floor.

Grant showcased the ability to knock down outside shots, as well as to score on hustle plays. Grant was able to run off the ball to make an open three-pointer, and he also ran the floor and caught a lob to score on an emphatic, alley-oop dunk. Plus, he also drove in to score on a tough, off-balanced floater to showcase his shot-creation skills. On the downside, he would sometimes miss on rushed shots around the basket, and he also was a bit streaky with his outside shot.

Also, he did an adequate job of rebounding the basketball. Though he didn’t grab any defensive rebounds, Grant did a great job of crashing the offensive glass to help his team get offensive rebounds. He also defended well, and he was able to block a shot off the dribble to a teammate. Overall, Grant is a promising prospect that could be due for much more playing time in the future, and he could end up being a legitimate prospect for the 2026 draft.

Nolan Winters is a 6-11 sophomore big man that had an adequate showing to help Wisconsin get a win in this game. Though he didn’t shoot the ball very often, he was effective in limited touches. He ran the floor to score on a dunk. He also made an open, spot-up three off the catch.

As a playmaker, he looked to be about average at best. He was able to make a crafty, drive and dish pass to notch an assist. On the other hand, he was turnover prone, and he would sometimes hold the ball too long and commit ball-handling turnovers.

He also was able to get a handful of rebounds to help his team on the glass. Defensively, he was able to poke a ball away from the post to nearly get a steal. Overall, Winters didn’t have a dominant game, but he showed enough offensive skills to warrant consideration in the future, as he could be a prospect to watch sometime down the road.

The 6-10 freshman center, Lathan Sommerville had an adequate showing, as he played better late in the game in his team’s tough loss to Wisconsin. Sommerville showed a satisfactory ability to score out of the post. He is a strong, mobile big man that can score on turnaround jumpers, and he also used a drop step move to score on a put back. However, sometimes he would struggle to score in traffic, as he would sometimes miss shots around the basket. He also took a mid-range jumper, but missed that time.

He also showed a solid ability to rebound the basketball, and Sommerville especially excelled as an offensive rebounder. On the defensive end, Sommerville was able to hold his ground when defending in the post to force a miss. Another time though, he sagged too far off his man, which led his man to score on a three-point shot.

Overall, Sommerville had his ups and downs, but he showed some potential due to his ability to score and rebound in the paint. He’ll need to add a reliable outside shot to his arsenal and could look to work on his passing skills, but he could be a prospect to keep tabs on down the road.

Jordan Derkack also had an adequate showing in his team’s loss to Wisconsin. He showed off versatile scoring skills, and he is a mobile, energetic swingman that showed off a satisfactory ability to score off the dribble as well as knock down outside shots in this game.

He also was able to make a drive and kick pass to notch an assist, but he also would tend to drive in too wildly and collide into defenders, which would lead him to commit ball-handling turnovers. He also threw a bad pass off of a drive that got picked off another time. He also didn’t grab many rebounds in this game. Overall, the 6-6 junior forward had an encouraging game, and though he hasn’t shot the ball well on the season, if he improves his jump shot significantly, that could help him carve out a career in professional basketball when his collegiate career ends.

Dylan Harper had a really tough game, as he looked nowhere near the player that scored 37 points in his team’s November 27th overtime loss to Alabama, and Harper played like a player who wasn’t healthy enough to play in this game, as he reportedly was battling the flu. In fact, Harper was held scoreless, and he really struggled on offense against Wisconsin.

Harper missed all of the threes and drives he took in this game, and he tended to take tough, contested shots that would lead to misses. He didn’t take nearly enough shots as anticipated, but he was able to find an open shooter to notch an assist once to show some playmaking skills.

He also did a good job of rebounding the basketball. He also defended well. Harper would consistently close out on three0point shooters to force misses. On the downside, he struggled to defend in one-on-one situations, as he got beat off the dribble to allow a score once, and he also committed a reach-in foul when defending in the post another time.

Overall, Harper did not have a great game, as he was held scoreless in this game. Still, he was not fully healthy against Wisconsin, so this game may not be fully indicative of his skill set. When he was healthy, he was a powerful, downhill driver that would get to the free throw line at will and score on strong moves to the hoop. He could look to improve his outside shot so that he could be less dependent on having to get to the free throw line as a major source of his offense, and adding a reliable three-point shot to his arsenal could really open things up for him offensively. He arguably had his worst game of his collegiate career, but based on other games, he will probably still end up being a top 5 pick in the 2025 draft.

All in all, those are my thoughts on how Ace Bailey and other various prospects fared in Wisconsin’s win over Rutgers. Also, Kamari McGee and Carter Gilmore played well in this game to help Wisconsin in this game. In addition, Rutgers drops to 8-7, and at this pace, they are playing like a team that could miss the postseason entirely, which would be surprising given the star power that they have on their team, but their team has struggled on both ends of the floor. As much as I would like to see Bailey and Harper play in the NCAA Tournament this year, it looks to be increasingly unlikely that Rutgers would be invited to the Big Dance in March. Meanwhile, Wisconsin improves to 12-3, and they are a strong offensive team. It was impressive to see that they have many different players that can knock down outside shots, as they have plenty of quality shooters on their team, and they played well together as a team. That both Crowl and Winters can really shoot the long ball can really make it difficult for opposing big men defensively, as it forces other team’s big men to have to guard them out on the perimeter. That’s all for now, and thanks for reading.