University of North Carolina Athletics
Lucas: Elevating His Game
March 2, 2014 | Men's Basketball, Featured Writers, Adam Lucas
BLACKSBURG--There was that moment against NC State when you thought J.P. Tokoto might be the story--he finished with the game's only double-double, posting 16 points and 10 rebounds--but then Marcus Paige happened.
And there was that moment against Wake Forest when you thought Tokoto might be the story--he finished with five assists and zero turnovers--but then Leslie McDonald happened.
Even against Duke, it looked like Tokoto might be the story--he was a big part of the defensive effort that limited the hot-shooting Blue Devils to 5-for-22 from the three-point line and three-for-13 in the decisive second half--but then the comeback, and McDonald, and Paige all happened in about two minutes.
So it was on Saturday afternoon in Blacksburg, when it really looked like Tokoto was going to be the story. For what felt like the tenth consecutive game, he'd drawn the defensive assignment against the opponent's best player. This time it was Jarell Eddie, and for most of the game, Tokoto limited Eddie's touches. The sophomore also tied for leading rebounder honors in the game (seven) and had a solid 12 points.
But then McAdoo happened, scoring nine straight points and 11 in the game's final seven minutes, and so Tokoto was again...
Wait a second. It might finally be time for the Wisconsin native to get a little recognition. Here is what he does on a nightly basis for the Tar Heels:
He guards the opponent's best wing player, which, in the perimeter-heavy ACC, is almost always the opponent's best overall player.
He is the team's second-leading rebounder.
He is consistently the most disruptive defensive player, no matter whether the Tar Heels are in man-to-man or zone.
He plays within himself offensively, usually not trying to make shots he can't make. On Saturday, he was 4-for-6 on two-point shots, and the shot chart of those four successful hoops looks like a game of H-O-R-S-E: a dunk, two baskets at the rim off drives, and a midrange jumper.
"It's because guys are worrying about Leslie and Marcus," Tokoto said. "After we swing the ball and kick it out from inside, it creates open lanes for me to drive. I love getting to the rim on one dribble or two dribbles."
Notice how he described his offense: it's only after the ball has changed sides of the floor and gone inside that he attacks. That's exactly what Roy Williams wants him to do, and it's why Tokoto is blossoming as a sophomore. There may come a day when he's the first option, but it's not today, and he's playing well within that role.
A month ago, it wasn't unusual to hear Williams barking, "Make the easy play!" any time Tokoto brought the ball downcourt in transition. But those shouts have quieted over the last two weeks, as Tokoto has compiled 19 assists and five turnovers during his last five games (that's as many in five games as he had in the season opener alone).
Early in the second half, he had a chance to try and initiate some offense, and could have tried to wriggle inside the Hokie zone. Instead, he found Leslie McDonald for an even better scoring chance, and McDonald knocked down one of his three three-pointers.
Then there's the defense. Tokoto spent virtually every possession against the Hokies running the baseline, chasing Eddie around screens as Virginia Tech tried to free their best scorer on the wing. Williams has always praised Tokoto's athletic ability as an important characteristic of a future great defender. The Wisconsin native still has that raw ability, but he's starting to combine it with a veteran defender's savvy.
In an eight-point game with 4:30 left, Tokoto was chasing Eddie--as per usual--when he drew a key offensive foul with brains rather than brawn.
"You have to outsmart the screener," Tokoto said. "You have to try to make him miss. We got a crucial call with Eddie coming off that screen. I got the guy to move so as he moved we made contact with each other, and they called him for an offensive foul."
On Friday, McAdoo and Paige were discussing which of their teammates consistently get the toughest defensive assignments (yes, this is what college basketball players talk about in their free time). The answer was clear: Tokoto. In the last month, he's guarded Clemson's K.J. McDaniels, Duke's Rodney Hood and Jabari Parker, NC State's T.J. Warren and Pittsburgh's Lamar Patterson. You're going to see all of those names on the All-ACC teams in a couple of weeks.
"He's got a great motor," Paige said. "And he gets the bucket-getters every night. And at the same time, he's able to bring it on both ends."
Quietly, Tokoto has led the Tar Heels in at least one category in four consecutive games--and it's been three different categories. He tied for the team lead in rebounds in Blacksburg, tied for the team lead in both rebounds and assists at NC State, led in assists against Wake Forest, and led in steals against Duke.
He's not going to get All-ACC votes because he doesn't do anything spectacularly (yet), but he's become one of Carolina's steadiest all-around players...and he still has much more room to get better. Winning teams have players like J.P. Tokoto. The role he's playing right now might not be his ideal role, and it might not be the way he pictures himself. But he's doing it because it's needed, and he's doing it well.
Even with all those contributions, what most people will remember about Tokoto from the game at Virginia Tech is his vicious dunk over Will Johnston. Everyone except Johnston seemed to see it coming from approximately the time Tokoto crossed midcourt. The high-riser eyed Johnston until the last second, then...
"I was looking to see where he was committing," Tokoto said. "I wanted to see if he was committing to me or to someone else. If he commits to me, I'm dishing it off. If he commits to a teammate, I'm taking flight. He was in-between, and I couldn't tell what he was going to do. So I took it strong."
That will, of course, end up being the major Tokoto highlight from Saturday's win. But it's everything else that he's doing that has made Carolina a better team, and helped them win 11 games in a row.
"I try to do what the team needs me to do," he said. "It's a team thing."
Adam Lucas is the editor of CAROLINA.
