Tokoto Interview

[wadesworld]

What I would like to see Buzz do is try to bring Wade in on the recruiting. Maybe see if he'd come back to do a summer camp at the Al, and make sure that Tokoto is there. Not sure how Buzz's relations with D-Wade are, but if we can use him to say "hey, this is a place where you can maximize your star potential and turn a few college years into NBA greatness" with the guarantee of playing time, it might be worth more than him just being one more faceless McDonald's All-American at UNC.

I don't think it would hurt to do that and see your point, but let's be honest here.  Buzz did not have anything to do with Dwyane Wade.  Also, if you want Buzz to do that, imagine what Roy could do with former UNC players.  Hey JP, Vince Carter wants to talk to you, oh, and Rasheed Wallace, oh, and...the list goes on and on.  And then after he finishes that list, he sends...MICHAEL F'ING JORDAN to have a little chat at UNC while he's there.  Not to mention all the Kansas players he coached that are now in the NBA.

Plus, Buzz has 1 NCAA win, Roy has 2 National Championship wins himself just at UNC (also compared to Marquette's 1 in it's history, 15 years before JP was even born).

While I'm not suggesting we're out of it, I'm just trying to point out that we can try to throw all this stuff at JP, but a program like UNC, who's clearly going to go after this guy very hard, can call us and raise us ten-fold.

[bilsu]

One advantage we have here in Wisconsin is that there is a basketball tradition, and I'd say it's much more impressive than that of Iowa, where Barnes is from. Neither Iowa State nor the Hawkeyes really have the pedigree of Marquette or even Wisconsin. Both schools here have national title banners, and both have Final Four appearances in recent memory. Whereas Barnes was looking at the two main in-state schools as having one Final Four appearance between them since 1956, both Marquette and Wisconsin have been there in the past decade. Not saying that will keep Tokoto here, but I do think that there's a far more legitimate pull from either Marquette or Madison.

What I would like to see Buzz do is try to bring Wade in on the recruiting. Maybe see if he'd come back to do a summer camp at the Al, and make sure that Tokoto is there. Not sure how Buzz's relations with D-Wade are, but if we can use him to say "hey, this is a place where you can maximize your star potential and turn a few college years into NBA greatness" with the guarantee of playing time, it might be worth more than him just being one more faceless McDonald's All-American at UNC.

One can at least dream of that, right?

How old is JP 15? I doubt if he remembers MU final 4 appearance in 2003. UW's was before that. I do not think recruits care that we won a National champioship 20 plus years before they were born.

[brewcity77]

I don't think it would hurt to do that and see your point, but let's be honest here.  Buzz did not have anything to do with Dwyane Wade.  Also, if you want Buzz to do that, imagine what Roy could do with former UNC players.  Hey JP, Vince Carter wants to talk to you, oh, and Rasheed Wallace, oh, and...the list goes on and on.  And then after he finishes that list, he sends...MICHAEL F'ING JORDAN to have a little chat at UNC while he's there.  Not to mention all the Kansas players he coached that are now in the NBA.

Plus, Buzz has 1 NCAA win, Roy has 2 National Championship wins himself just at UNC (also compared to Marquette's 1 in it's history, 15 years before JP was even born).

While I'm not suggesting we're out of it, I'm just trying to point out that we can try to throw all this stuff at JP, but a program like UNC, who's clearly going to go after this guy very hard, can call us and raise us ten-fold.

All valid points, none of which I disagree with. But at the moment, I would say Wade is currently a bigger star than anyone UNC has in the league. And as I said, I don't know what Buzz's relationship with Wade is like. If Crean were still here, I'd think it'd be an easier sell, but if Buzz can open those roads since Wade is still a former MU student, it's worth a shot. I know UNC has more history to offer, I'm just saying that the comparison of Harrison Barnes to JP Tokoto might be a bit unfair.

[wadesworld]

How old is JP 15? I doubt if he remembers MU final 4 appearance in 2003. UW's was before that. I do not think recruits care that we won a National champioship 20 plus years before they were born.

He's 15 or 16.  I was in 8th grade in 2003, and I am 5 grades older than him, so he would have been in 3rd grade.  I would bet he remembers it.

[PE8983]

Not comparing MU to UNC, but Buzz had as much to do with Wade as Roy Williams did with Vince Carter and Rasheed Wallace. 

[texaswarrior74]

Not comparing MU to UNC, but Buzz had as much to do with Wade as Roy Williams did with Vince Carter and Rasheed Wallace.

But he was the principal recruiter for Michael Jordan.

All Roy has to do is invite him to visit during the summer when Vince and Sheed and many others are on campus daily playing pick up ball with the current team; it's an annual occurrence at UNC. The UNC basketball "family" is like no other in college ball. Their 100th anniversary alumni game was something to behold.

[4everwarriors]

You cats are missing the entire picture. If a player of this caliper thinks he has a better opportunity to play in the Association by attending a particular school and playing for that coach, that's where he's going.
All the other bullsheet reasons, other than some family influences, don't matter. Whether the coeds are easy, or the food is good, or the weather sucks, or Creans droppings don't stink, do not matter.

[wadesworld]

Not comparing MU to UNC, but Buzz had as much to do with Wade as Roy Williams did with Vince Carter and Rasheed Wallace. 

That was my point.  Roy can do the same thing, with  many more of them, and THEN he could call all the players he ACTUALLY coached at Kansas.

[bilsu]

He's 15 or 16.  I was in 8th grade in 2003, and I am 5 grades older than him, so he would have been in 3rd grade.  I would bet he remembers it.

If he remembers it, he will emember we were blown out by the North Carolina coach when he was coach of Kansas. I do not see this as a good thing to bring up.

[brewcity77]

If he remembers it, he will emember we were blown out by the North Carolina coach when he was coach of Kansas. I do not see this as a good thing to bring up.

So you're saying that if Tokoto remembers 2003, we shouldn't try to use Wade to recruit him? I'm not saying Wade would, but right now he is the most marketable NBA player with a college background. If he would lend an assist to Buzz (no reason he would, but if...) then it would be lunacy not to use it. What current NBA star would be a bigger drawing piece? Lebron? Kobe? Neither played college ball. Tim Howard? Vince Carter? Maybe 7-8 years ago. Carmelo Anthony? That's probably next best, but who gets more ads, D-Wade or Melo? It's not even close.

Again, no idea if Buzz could bring him into the picture, and I fully realize that UNC has more ammo from the past 20 years than we do, but let's get realistic. Roy Williams will use those opportunities. If Tokoto is on campus at UNC, you can pretty much bet that he will find a way to have a few Tarheel greats saunter through the gym. If we have the chance to do the same thing with the largest profile college player currently in the Association, it'd simply be stupid not to.

[MerrittsMustache]

So you're saying that if Tokoto remembers 2003, we shouldn't try to use Wade to recruit him? I'm not saying Wade would, but right now he is the most marketable NBA player with a college background. If he would lend an assist to Buzz (no reason he would, but if...) then it would be lunacy not to use it. What current NBA star would be a bigger drawing piece? Lebron? Kobe? Neither played college ball. Tim Howard? Vince Carter? Maybe 7-8 years ago. Carmelo Anthony? That's probably next best, but who gets more ads, D-Wade or Melo? It's not even close.

Again, no idea if Buzz could bring him into the picture, and I fully realize that UNC has more ammo from the past 20 years than we do, but let's get realistic. Roy Williams will use those opportunities. If Tokoto is on campus at UNC, you can pretty much bet that he will find a way to have a few Tarheel greats saunter through the gym. If we have the chance to do the same thing with the largest profile college player currently in the Association, it'd simply be stupid not to.

If there's anyone who could convince a recruit to attend his alma mater, it's definitely Tim Howard!

[GGGG]

My understanding of Tokoto is that he's a pretty level headed kid, who is extremely close to his family.  (I think someone posted an article here that said he was still responsible for watching his siblings after school and only is allowed to use a cell phone for an hour each night.)  IMO, brining out Wade or Jordan isn't going to do it for him.  It think fit at the school and with the coach is going to be the primary drivers here.

It is pretty clear to me that he thinks highly of Roy Williams.  He doesn't say much about Buzz...take that for what it's worth.

[4everwarriors]

Or Howard Menard

[GOMU1104]

It is pretty clear to me that he thinks highly of Roy Williams.  He doesn't say much about Buzz...take that for what it's worth.

It was an article written by a UNC Scout Site! What do you expect? People are reading way too much into this article...

[GGGG]

It was an article written by a UNC Scout Site! What do you expect? People are reading way too much into this article...

Well, that is why I said "FWIW."  I should have been stronger...that we don't know *what* he thinks about Buzz.

But it is clear that he thinks highly of Roy Williams.

[bilsu]

So you're saying that if Tokoto remembers 2003, we shouldn't try to use Wade to recruit him? I'm not saying Wade would, but right now he is the most marketable NBA player with a college background. If he would lend an assist to Buzz (no reason he would, but if...) then it would be lunacy not to use it. What current NBA star would be a bigger drawing piece? Lebron? Kobe? Neither played college ball. Tim Howard? Vince Carter? Maybe 7-8 years ago. Carmelo Anthony? That's probably next best, but who gets more ads, D-Wade or Melo? It's not even close.

Again, no idea if Buzz could bring him into the picture, and I fully realize that UNC has more ammo from the past 20 years than we do, but let's get realistic. Roy Williams will use those opportunities. If Tokoto is on campus at UNC, you can pretty much bet that he will find a way to have a few Tarheel greats saunter through the gym. If we have the chance to do the same thing with the largest profile college player currently in the Association, it'd simply be stupid not to.

I was not commenting on the use of Wade relationship. I was commenting on that fact that someone was saying the MU & UW had final four appearances to sell to recruits. I was pointing out that recruits, because of their age, probably do not remmber them and the fact if you are recruiting against North Carolina, pointing out a trip to the final four pales in comparison to two national championships for Williams at North Carolina. Now if you are recruiting against UWM, you can brag about it.

[brewcity77]

Clearly we haven't been able to recruit on even ground with a school like UNC since Al retired in 1977. But we are the hometown team, would allow his friends and family to watch him regularly, and could potentially parade out a bigger current NBA star than anyone UNC has. I'm not saying that puts us on level ground with the Tarheels, but I do believe those factors are significant enough that we wouldn't be dismissed out of hand (as a school like UWM likely would be).

In recent years, look at where some of the top ten recruits went. Derrick Favors to Georgia Tech, Lance Stephenson to Cincinnati, Renardo Sidney to Mississippi State, Demar DeRozan to USC, Michael Beasley to Kansas State, the list goes on. I'm not saying we'll get Tokoto, but I don't think any of those programs there are significantly bigger than we are (especially as we spend the second most only to Duke in D1 on basketball) so I'd say we should use what we can to keep ourselves in the running.

[willie warrior]

Clearly we haven't been able to recruit on even ground with a school like UNC since Al retired in 1977. But we are the hometown team, would allow his friends and family to watch him regularly, and could potentially parade out a bigger current NBA star than anyone UNC has. I'm not saying that puts us on level ground with the Tarheels, but I do believe those factors are significant enough that we wouldn't be dismissed out of hand (as a school like UWM likely would be).

In recent years, look at where some of the top ten recruits went. Derrick Favors to Georgia Tech, Lance Stephenson to Cincinnati, Renardo Sidney to Mississippi State, Demar DeRozan to USC, Michael Beasley to Kansas State, the list goes on. I'm not saying we'll get Tokoto, but I don't think any of those programs there are significantly bigger than we are (especially as we spend the second most only to Duke in D1 on basketball) so I'd say we should use what we can to keep ourselves in the running.

I agree. No, weare not Carolina. But we are the hometown team, and that should mean something.

[Dawson Rental]

Clearly we haven't been able to recruit on even ground with a school like UNC since Al retired in 1977. But we are the hometown team, would allow his friends and family to watch him regularly, and could potentially parade out a bigger current NBA star than anyone UNC has. I'm not saying that puts us on level ground with the Tarheels, but I do believe those factors are significant enough that we wouldn't be dismissed out of hand (as a school like UWM likely would be).

In recent years, look at where some of the top ten recruits went. Derrick Favors to Georgia Tech, Lance Stephenson to Cincinnati, Renardo Sidney to Mississippi State, Demar DeRozan to USC, Michael Beasley to Kansas State, the list goes on. I'm not saying we'll get Tokoto, but I don't think any of those programs there are significantly bigger than we are (especially as we spend the second most only to Duke in D1 on basketball) so I'd say we should use what we can to keep ourselves in the running.

Lance Stephenson is probably not a good example.  Cincinnati was one of the few BCS schools that would even consider him.  Everyone knew he was going to be a one and done, he was thought to have a selfish attitude, and his dad was supposed to be Tim Maymon x 2.