UNC secured its second basketball commitment from the class of 2012 late Thursday night when SF J.P. Tokoto from Menomonee, WI chose to become a Tar Heel. Tokoto is ranked #42 overall by Scout and #41 by Rivals. At this point, the ranking is not a huge concern since Tokoto will have plenty of opportunity to raise his profile, much like Marcus Paige.
The word on Tokoto is he’s long and athletic. Measuring 6-6 and 180 lbs, Tokoto will be a good fit into UNC’s up-tempo system with his ability to run the court, handle the basketball and finish at the rim. Recruiting experts are high on his defense and rebounding. ACC Sports.com recruiting analyst Brick Oettinger had this to say about Tokoto:
Oettinger also described Tokoto as “an outstanding run/jump athlete. He can match up with a lot of people on defense because of that.”
“I describe Tokoto as a slightly taller, better scoring, Jackie Manuel,” Oettinger added. “He’s that type of an athlete, that type of a defender. He’s extremely agile.
“But he handles the ball better than Jackie. Jackie didn’t really have much of an offensive game. You really can’t say that about Tokoto.”
Tokoto does have plenty of offensive game, but he also has one area in his repertoire that still needs work.
“I liked everything about his game except his ugly jumpers last spring and summer,” Oettinger said.
Tokoto really sounds like a smaller version of John Henson who needs to develop offensive skills, particularly a working jumper. However, Henson has also proven having athletic guys who can defense is also a huge lift for a team.
Inside Carolina has a full write-up on Tokoto’s decision via Scout’s top recruiting expert Evan Daniels. Be sure to check out Dan Wiederer’s piece on Tokoto which discusses his relationship with Roy.
Aside from his basketball skills, Tokoto is a solid student and will be another in a long line of “character kids” brought out in by Roy.
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“It was a continuation of the struggles Tokoto had gone through a few weeks earlier at Bob Gibbons’ Tournament of Champions. There Tokoto showed an ability to get to the rim again and again but rarely took perimeter jumpers and didn’t seem to have much faith in his shot when he did.”
Even thought he is considered a Jackie Manuel type of player I would like to see him being comfortable with his jump shot.
This is good news. Sounds like he could turn into a very solid role player. Obviously, recruiting someone who already knows how to shoot would be a big plus… last season and for stretches this season we’ve gotten a harsh reminder of that, but athleticism and size are good too. Anyways, lets hope this opens the floodgates and we start getting more commits soon (in addition to a proven shooter, we desperately need some good post players to add to the 2012 class).
FWIW ESPN/Telep has him ranked #32 and he was once ranked above Shabazz Muhammed by Scout. Most analysts have said based on his play over past school year that he is, like Paige, poised to make a sig leap in the rankings next time they are refreshed.
Grateful to have this guy!!
^There is also talk that he might do as PJ Hairston did, and transfer for his senior year to a school where he can go against better competition.
No questioning his athleticism:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rz6D6MIg93s
And I agree with Raj. Getting a low-post player has to be priority #1 now. UNC should be loaded in the backcourt for the 2013 season (Marshall, Paige, Strickland, McDonald, Bullock, Hairston, and Tokoto), but Henson will most certainly be gone, and McAdoo could be as well.
The WI papers are killing this kid for picking UNC, and apparently they all hate Roy Williams
I guess they never got over 2005?
^^Which ones? I read the reports from all the major WI papers, and if they are damning, it is only in their lack of a whole lot of detail.
The comments section, on the other hand…
The most comical one for me was the Purdue student newspaper who ripped Zeller for going to UNC saying he would never see the court.
I meant comments in the papers, Sorry CMichael. The papers its self are not bashing him. That would be terrible to bash a high school junior.
Apparently, WI fans think that Roy said that Wisconsin style of play is killing the game.
^^^ If Roy didn’t say that, he should have.
If I were a recruit I’d only play in the Big-10 if I had to
MakeitWayne22: “Apparently, WI fans think that Roy said that Wisconsin style of play is killing the game.”
HeelYeah: “^^^ If Roy didn’t say that, he should have.”
I hope Wisconsin can beat o$u again.
^L8N: No, no, no!!! We need Wisconsin to lose to increase the chance that we play the 2nd and 3rd rounds in Charlotte!
MakeitWayne22: “Apparently, WI fans think that Roy said that Wisconsin style of play is killing the game.”
HeelYeah: “^^^ If Roy didn’t say that, he should have.”
^^^This.
[...] ol’ Toots runs through the 14 times since the ACC began that Duke-Carolina has been for all the [...]
It was just fun to read other teams views on UNC and Roy Williams. How JP is “just going to be another horse in stable” instead of a star at WI. Havent heard that line before.
Dont know much about this kid
If WI fans have an issue with Roy’s comments then they need to blame Ryan because the style is from the 1950′s, but it works from WI and the talent they have. So what Roy’s not suppose to be honest, maybe Ryan should have told Tokoto “but you’ll have to run alot at Carolina and be in really good shape, we just walk it up here”…………
This has the makings of a really good class:
2 3-4yr players: Paige (might be best PG at the end of the day) and Tokoto (an extremely athletic wing player)
Now they just need to add at least 1 big guy and maybe 1 one and done, Parker and/or Coleman in the post and Muhammad as the one and done, would do just nicely. But with all the wing players UNC has I don’t think Muhammad is coming to Chapel Hill. I’d prefer Roy to land 2 post players or one big time post player and another shooter.
That reaction is nothing new. I remember that the same thing happened to Joe Wolf. My calculus teacher was from WI and he said that people considered Joe to be the “savior of the Marquette program.” That was back when Marquette ruled the state. I remember being dunbfounded and thinking, “really? All that over a basketball recruit?”
Keeping John and Harrison next year, will make the Heels a legit top 5 team. However with the way they both are playing its not going to be easy to keep them.
If Barnes and Henson stayed, the Heels would be a top-1 team, at least in the preseason. But, alas, I don’t see it happening. I still hold out hope for Henson, but Barnes I feel is starting up his UNC swan song.
It wouldn’t surprise me if both of them stay, I don’t know why but I have a feeling they will. They both seem to really like being college students/players and think they realize they could have something really special here next year with the pieces coming back and coming in. Barnes seems like he really cares about his education and wants to better himself on and off the court. This might just be wishful thinking but I think both of them will be back unless they win the National Championship, I think that is the only way they leave.
I agree with scl i would like to see some bigs added to this class because I doubt Henson is here past his Junior year and I would also love to see someone who is just a flat out sniper, would be nice to have someone who can consistently get you 3-4 3′s a game. All in all like how this class is shaping up though I think Ol’ Roy realizes you need to get the PG 1st and then the rest of the pieces will want to follow and play along side him, it worked with Marshal and looks like it is working with Paige.
And to take a quote from the great Bart Scott as far as tomorrow nights game “CAN’T WAIT!!!!”
^Let’s worry about that after the season is over
from 5-11 to 13-2….
JoeMags, I’d agree with you if I hadn’t heard that same story about “really enjoying college” roughly a million times.
The Heels are 14-0 at home this year…dook is going down!
Tokoto was ranked much higher until his permance in last summer’s top 100 tournament. His rankings will rebound but the one good key here is he is at least a three-year player. Always good to have athletic 6′ 6″ guys on the wing. Good character kid too…and after a certain three kids from California, that is refreshing. Nice pick-up. And plenty of other top schools wanted him.
The best thing we have in our favor for the entire team returning is the threat of an NBA lock-out. The longer that drags the better for Carolina.
Amen, ChapelHillFan. I’m hoping for an NBA lockout (even though I’d miss my Celtics).
Well, UNC is also after another Wisconsin player, Bronson Koenig.
I was worried about having enough good shooters in a couple of years, but we will likely still have Hairston, Bullock and LMac in 2012 (not to mention Butta and Paige). If they are around then, it is a safe bet they UNC will be among the best shooting teams in the country.
Like C. Michael said earlier, low post is our real recruiting priority. At best (right now) it appears we would be thin in the post. But it looks like we will definitely be able to shoot, pass and play a good up-tempo game.
It’s scary because we could lose all 3 big guys next year because espn.com had a thing where zeller is the #3 center on the board, but hopefully that’s not the case and I’m done with worrying about next year time for the dookies
Nice signing. I’ve watched a ton of his highlight videos and he’s definitely going to run the floor very well. I hope his shooting rounds into form.
[...] THF has all of the Tokoto vitals — check that out if you want the rundown. [...]
I echo the big-man concern…need at least two quality big guys in the class of 2012, if not even three.
Heels played wednesday night on ESPN, and Saturday night will be on CBS (not Raycom)… Heels are back.
I’ve heard talk on ‘Blue Steel’ T-shirts for charity. Is there any website were I could order one? Does the store that is selling them ship them out?
Any information would be appreciated…
Lets go kick some dookies *** tomorrow!!!!! TAR….
Wisconsin:
#1 in Offensive Efficiency, #344 (tied for last place) in pace of play (kenpom)
The buzz among recruits attracted to their program is ” They play slow as molasses, but, boy, they have a great offensive efficiency”.
And big-time recruits can fight over 20 or 30 less shot opportunities a game….
Sweet Nice signing.
Ya if anyone hears about blue steel t-shirts and how to order on line please psoy.. I wonder if Johnny t-shirts have them.
eRap2, Chapel Hill Sportswear was taking orders for Blue Steel t’s. I don’t think it’s on their website http://www.chapelhillsportswear.com/ but you could always call them.