Which players from Wisconsin basketball’s 2024-25 roster are departing this spring?
The Wisconsin Badgers are set to look much different when they next take the court in game action.
UW, which compiled a 27-10 overall record during the 2024-25 regular and postseason, fell 91-89 to No. 6-seed BYU in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday night. Star wing John Tonje, a unanimous First-Team All-Big Ten selection, dropped 37 points, four rebounds and four assists in the loss.
The defeat concluded Tonje's impressive single season with the program, one that saw him come close to Frank Kaminsky's single-season scoring record. As the undisputed No. 1 option for the Badgers, Tonje averaged 19.6 points, 5.3 boards and 1.8 assists off 46.5% from the field, 38.8% from deep and 90.9% from the free throw line. His output netted Naismith College Player of the Year semifinalist honors and an All-America Second-Team distinction.
Aside from Tonje, the loss also wrapped the collegiate tenures of several other notable Badger playmakers, including guard Max Klesmit and center Steven Crowl.
Unlike Tonje, the two depart from UW following lengthy tenures with the program. Crowl began his journey in Madison during the 2020-21 slate, playing five total seasons under Greg Gard. In 153 career games, he averaged 9.6 points, 5.6 rebounds and two assists in 25.6 minutes per game. He chalked up 9.5 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.5 helpers in 25.4 minutes per appearance as a senior.
Fun ride with these guys.
— Wisconsin Basketball (@BadgerMBB) March 23, 2025
Special group. pic.twitter.com/GMdHE6rrs7
Klesmit, a native of Neenah, Wisconsin, played three seasons in Madison after transferring from Wofford in 2022. As a senior, he accounted for 9.7 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game off 35.3% from the floor and 28.6% from outside. He averaged 9.4 points, 2.4 boards and two assists per game in 102 career starts under Gard.
Fan favorite bench contributors Carter Gilmore and Kamari McGee are also set to depart after the 2024-25 season. Gilmore played in all 37 games this season and made significant impacts in important moments, specifically against Michigan State in the Big Ten Tournament semifinal (10 points, five rebounds, five assists) and Northwestern in February (15 second-half points).
McGee, a steadying presence in the locker room and huddle, recorded 6.5 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game off the bench in his most impressive season as a Badger.
Finally, senior forward Markus Ilver is also set to graduate after appearing in just 73 games with the program.
Those departures leave guard John Blackwell and forward/center Nolan Winter as the faces of the program next season. UW's bench, which features guard Daniel Freitag, Camren Hunter, Jack Janicki and Jack Robison, is deep but young. Gard and his staff will certainly look to the portal to address glaring needs, such as a reliable wing and a new No. 1 option in the painted area.
Tonje arrived in Madison from the portal, but that type of acquisition will be extremely difficult to replicate this spring. Still, the Badgers' culture and consistency make the program an attractive option for a player looking to burst onto the national scene as a No. 1 scoring option.
Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion
This article originally appeared on Badgers Wire: Wisconsin Basketball roster update seniors 2024-25 season
Topics
-
Wisconsin basketball star John Tonje sends departing message to Badger fanbase
Wisconsin basketball's 2024-25 season can't be adequately discussed or analyzed without significant focus on John Tonje's all-time great run.Yahoo Sports - 8h -
What UCLA coach Mick Cronin said about Wisconsin star John Tonje after Badgers' big win
Wisconsin’s basketball’s most important player added another signature performance to his 2024-25 campaign on Friday.Yahoo Sports - Mar. 14 -
Wisconsin basketball early 2025-26 roster, starting lineup prediction
Wisconsin's offseason is underway. Here is a first look at how the team may line up next fall.Yahoo Sports - 1d -
What Michigan coach Dusty May said about Wisconsin basketball before Big Ten title game
The Wisconsin Badgers are set to face the Michigan Wolverines in the 2025 Big Ten Tournament championship game on Sunday afternoon.Yahoo Sports - Mar. 16 -
Wisconsin Badgers star named semifinalist for major college basketball award
Wisconsin star wing John Tonje was named a Naismith Men's College Player of the Year semifinalist on Friday.Yahoo Sports - Mar. 14 -
Analysis: BYU takes ‘survive and advance’ to a whole different level in wire-to-wire win over Wisconsin
BYU overcame a 37-point performance by John Tonje and got 25 points from Richie Saunders to nip Wisconsin 91-89 in the NCAA Tournament Saturday night in DenverYahoo Sports - 2d -
Everything Wisconsin coach Greg Gard said after Badgers' NCAA Tournament loss to BYU
The Wisconsin Badgers' 2024-25 season came to an end on Saturday night in Denver, Colorado.Yahoo Sports - 2d -
Ranking Wisconsin basketball’s transfer portal, offseason roster needs
With the transfer cycle beginning to spin, here is a look at Wisconsin's biggest offseason needs, ranked in order of importance:Yahoo Sports - 6h -
Michigan basketball outlasts Wisconsin to take Big Ten tournament title game
Michigan basketball used its late-game magic once again on Sunday to outlast Wisconsin in the Big Ten tournament title game.Yahoo Sports - Mar. 16
More from Yahoo Sports
-
S. Africa take big World Cup lead, but may lose points over Mokoena
South Africa beat Benin 2-0 on Tuesday to lead an African 2026 World Cup qualifying group by five points, but the advantage could be reduced for fielding an ineligible player last week.- Nigeria ...Yahoo Sports - 34m -
Kim Mulkey laments JuJu Watkins injury, calls her 'such a great ambassador of our game'
During a radio appearance on Wednesday, LSU women's basketball coach Kim Mulkey spoke highly about USC's JuJu Watkins after her season-ending injury.Yahoo Sports - 34m -
The Astros brought Cam Smith’s family into the clubhouse to surprise him about making the big-league roster
A moment that Cam Smith will never forget.Yahoo Sports - 35m -
Bills have big plans for Dalton Kincaid after injury-filled second season
Brandon Beane was quick to pump the brakes. It was April 27, 2023 and Beane just traded up two spots to select tight end Dalton Kincaid in the first round of the draft. Not only that, but the ...Yahoo Sports - 35m -
Top 50 people who will impact the 2025 MLB season: Nos. 50-26
From Chandler Simpson to Mike Trout to Fernando Tatis Jr., these are the names to know as the regular season begins.Yahoo Sports - 38m
More in Sports
-
Women's Sweet 16 rankings: UConn is No. 1, USC holds tight at No. 4
The Sweet 16 is set, and there's a new No. 1. But all eyes are on USC and injured JuJu Watkins.ESPN - 33m -
Picks, predictions, key players for every women's Sweet 16 game
Why might every Sweet 16 team win its regional semifinal matchup in Birmingham and Spokane? We predict the winners.ESPN - 33m -
Cal Raleigh contract extension: Mariners locking up star catcher on six-year, $105 million deal, per reports
The deal will buy out Raleigh's first three years of free agencyCBS Sports - 34m -
S. Africa take big World Cup lead, but may lose points over Mokoena
South Africa beat Benin 2-0 on Tuesday to lead an African 2026 World Cup qualifying group by five points, but the advantage could be reduced for fielding an ineligible player last week.- Nigeria ...Yahoo Sports - 34m -
Kim Mulkey laments JuJu Watkins injury, calls her 'such a great ambassador of our game'
During a radio appearance on Wednesday, LSU women's basketball coach Kim Mulkey spoke highly about USC's JuJu Watkins after her season-ending injury.Yahoo Sports - 34m