The 2015 Draft

Jean Pierre Tokoto's gamble to enter the 2015 NBA Draft a year early paid off as he was drafted in the second round, #58 overall by the Philadelphia 76ers. Writer Shamus Clancy, in a Draft preview for the Philadelphia Daily News, described Tokoto as "an athletic wing who can hit threes, attack the rim and eschew midrange jumpers is the idea role player" and as an ideal fit for the 76ers system.

In his post draft analysis of the 76ers draft picks on libertyballers.com, Clancy said that "Tokoto could be a steal here and should provide some Vine-worthy highlights for the Sixers as soon as next month's Summer League."

Tokoto was the fourth of five 76ers draft picks on the night and the only Tarheel taken in the draft. While he did not post big numbers at North Carolina, he did not average double figures in scoring in any of his three seasons, Tokoto is a tremendous athlete who has a big upside. I was not sure if he would be drafted at all, a la James Michael McAdoo, because of the lack of numbers but many experts thought Tokoto would go early in the second round.

James Michael McAdoo

James Michael McAdoo left the UNC basketball program a year early and who is to say if it cost him or not? He did not great drafted but it is reported that he is going to be on the Golden State Warriors Summer League team. All I can say with absolute certainty is that he will be playing professional basketball somewhere next season whether it be in the NBA, refining his game in the Developmental League, or playing in Europe. Several ex-Tar Heel players have made their mark playing pro ball in foreign countries. Joseph Forte and Dante Calabria come to mind. It was highly believed that McAdoo would have been a Top Ten pick if he would have gone pro after his Freshman season. At the absolute worst he would have gone in the Top Twenty. He came back twice to work on his game but the results never really showed on the court. He rarely showed the ability to take a game, sometimes his presence was non-existent in big games. His post game never really developed and his perimeter game never really extended past 15 feet. McAdoo was always long and athletic and could guard the perimeter but he never really could defend the post. At 6'8" he was always a 'tweener. I wish him the best no matter where he ends up.

James Michael McAdoo

The decision finally came down right after the season was over that has been three years in the making. North Carolina Tarheel big man James Michael McAdoo decided to turn pro after his Junior year and he may have picked the worst possible time for him to come out. He had an inconsistent Junior year in which he was second on the team in scoring with 14.2 points per game and led the team with 6.8 rebounds per game. My belief is that he will be a Second Round Draft pick if he is drafted at all. After his Freshman Year he was projected to be a Top Ten Pick and I admire him for rolling the dice. It was all based on potential and as college basketball has evolved, McAdoo's game took a step backwards. He is rangy and athletic but he does not have a solid inside game or a mid-range game. McAdoo works best in the open court in a fast paced offense and I am hoping he is one of those players that will be more successful in the pros than he was in college.

Death, Taxes, And a Tarheel Victory Over Clemson

There are three sure things in life if you are a Tarheel basketball fan: Death, Taxes, and a victory against Clemson in Chapel Hill. The latest victory, an 80-61 victory last night, was the 57th in a row over Clemson in Chapel Hill, and was a very solid offensive showing against a Clemson team that was ranked 10th in the nation in total defense. James Michael McAdoo led the way with 22 points and played a great overall game and Marcus Paige chipped in with 15. Leslie McDonald had 12 points and Kennedy Meeks had 11 points and 3 blocked shots in his third start on the season. The 'Heels played with a "sense of urgency" is the phrase that Roy Williams kept using. The 'Heels played like their basketball season depended on it and at 12-7, every game might from this point on out. The 'Heels are 2-4 in the ACC and probably need to finish at 10-6 in the ACC and have a strong showing in the ACC Tournament to stand a chance at making the NCAA Tournament. They do have solid wins against Louisville and Michigan State in their resume and they will have several more opportunities against Top 25 teams.

The Texas Free Throw Massacre

Every one seems to have an answer for the Tsrheels Free Throw shooting woes. 24-47 against Texas in an 86-83 loss to Texas the other night. If they would have hit their season average of slightly over 60% they would have won the game. The fact that the Tarheels got killed on the boards mostly got lost in the shuffle. They were outrebounded 51-42 for the game and 29-15 in the first half. Roy Williams was not happy with the "effort" and scheduled a 5 AM practice the next morning. That should get some players' attention. The Tarheels had 3 players in double figures- Marcus Paige with 23, Leslie McDonald with 15, and James Michael McAdoo with 11. Leslie McDonald got reinstated by the NCAA before the game and came off the bench and hit 4-9 three pointers. The word on the street is that P.J. Hairston will miss the entire season. That is for an entirely different post. The "heels take on an always tough Davidson team on Saturday night.

A Bluegrass Beat Down

I do not like Kentucky. Plain and simple. I was really nervous about the game yesterday because Kentucky keeps bringing size at you from the Guards on up. The 'Heels Guards barely hit six feet tall. Statistically, the 'Tarheels should not have won this game. They got killed on the boards (44-32), they only went 26-45 from the free throw line, and one of the few statistical categories they did win was in Turnovers (9-17). As Jim Bouton once said in his Baseball epic Ball Four "tell my statistics to shut up." The ultimate stat that is the only one that counts is the final score and that one the 'Heels had an advantage of 82-77. That improves their record to 7-2 on the season with three wins over top tier teams. Marcus Paige's Alley Oop to Brice Johnson brought back memories of Ed Cota to Vince Carter, James Michael McAdoo got back on track with 20 points and led the team with 4 assists and more importantly,drove to the basket hard and shot 19 free throws. He did not settle for the jump shot and took a very aggressive offensive approach. Marcus Paige led the way with 23 points and J.P. Tokoto scored a career high 15 points on 7-10 shooting and displayed the athleticism that will only become more prominent as his basketball skill set grows.

The Sophomores Step Up

Friday nights game against Holy Cross was a much tighter game than it really should have been. The score was tied at 25 at halftime after Holy Cross went on a 13-2 run to close out the first half. A lackluster performance by the 'Heels in the first 4 minutes of the second half saw them fall behind 30-27. That was when Sophomores Marcus Paige (22 points) and Brice Johnson (12 points) brought some highly needed energy and enthusiasm to the court and allowed the 'Heels to pull out a hard fought 62-54 win. The 'Heels had a poor shooting game, were outrebounded by the smaller Holy Cross team 39-38, and the 'Heels did not take care of the ball. One of the announcer desribed the Tarheels as a very mediocre team without P.J. Hairston and by the end of the game, they were in the process of proving him right. James Michael McAdoo only had 11 points and had a hard time fitting into the flow of the game. The 'Heels had no inside game to speak of and the crisp passing among the interior players from the first game was missing in this game. The 'Heels will be a work in progress until they start getting some of their major players back. James Michael McAdoo and Marcus paige are the only two players on this team that logged major minutes last season.

Getting It

After watching UNC's 84-61 win over Oakland University last night, I came away thinking "This team gets it." They get making the extra pass to someone with a better shot, they get playing better perimeter defense and getting a hand in the shooter's face, and they get crashing the boards. At some point and time in the very near future and until the situation between the NCAA and P.J. Hairston and Leslie McDonald comes to a resolution, they will miss the outside shooting of those two players. Last night that void was filled admirably by J.P. Tokoto and Marcus Paige. Tokoto had 13 points (all in the first half) and Paige had 14, including 4 of 7 three pointers, and Tokoto tied for the team lead with 5 Assists and led the team with 4 steals. It took James Michael McAdoo all of 7 seconds into the game to score on a driving layup and hit the "and one" for a three point play. He led the team with 21 points and 9 rebounds and 5 Tarheels scored in double figures. Oakland University was a dangerous team. They play fast and can hit the three point shot. The 'Heels neutralized that by playing good perimeter defense (Oakland was 8 for 25 from the three point line) and getting into the passing lanes. There were no easy shots. It was a good first win for the Tarheels and I came away impressed, especially with the first half.

Men's Basketball Preview Versus Oakland

The Oakland University Golden Grizzlies come to Chapel Hill tonight for only their second ever meeting. Oakland presents matchup problems for the 'Heels the biggest of which is three-point bomber Travis Bader. He averaged over 22 points a game last year and is only 101 three-pointers short of Duke alum J.J. Redick's career record of 457 three-pointers. It could be a problem if the 'Heels have to match him three pointer for three pointer. He also has a size advantage over Marcus Paige and will be able to shoot over the top of him. The 'Heels have had a problem guarding the outside shooters for several seasons. Fellow Oakland Guard Duke Mondy led the NCAA in steals last year at 3.02 per game and with the 'Heels problem with turnovers in their exhibition game and Freshman Nate Britt opening at the Point, UNC will need to take care of the basketball and not give Oakland any more posessions. Oakland also has two transfers, Tommie McCune from West Virginia who led Oakland with 7.5 rebounds per game in two exhbition games, and former Dayton Flyer Ralph Hill. Oakland can almost match Carolina's size and experience in the middle definitely favors the Golden Grizzlies. Depth in the middle should favor UNC and any of the three- Desmond Hubert, Joel James, or Kennedy Meeks- could start for Carolina and they do have 15 fouls to give. James Michael McAdoo needs to have a big game for the 'Heels. Sophomore Brice Johnson and Freshman Isaiah Hicks are the "X Factors" for the Tarheels. They do not have a proven outside threat and need to dominate down low and one the those players needs to step up and become a scoring option. Oakland Coach Greg Kampe favors a fast paced game and the 'Heels should thrive in that type of environment and the 'Heels big men can run. If the Tarheels can limit their turnovers, dominate the inside, and if any of the "X Factors" can step up, the 'Heels should be able to pull away at the end. The 'Heels cannot lament over who is not playing and as the old saying goes, "you have to race what you brought to the track."

Men's Basketball Home Opener Versus Oakland

The opening of the Men's Basketball season used to be such a rush for me. The 'Heels were usually a Top Ten team (usually top five) and the only thing a Tarheel fan had to worry about was who was going to go pro at the end of the season. Until then, and it was usually after a deep run into the NCAA's, you got to watch a veteran team with a few McDonald's All-American Freshmen sprinkled in to the lineup. This season has a different feel to it. The 'Heels are opening up their season without all of their starting pieces. P.J. Hairston and Leslie McDonald are going to miss at least the home opener against Oakland due to problems with the NCAA. Hairston's saga has gone on for at least four months and should have a definitive resolution to it by now. The NCAA was able to resolve the Johnny Manziel situation at Texas A & M in about two weeks. That suspension was for half a game. He has acted like a jerk ever since then. The NCAA couldn't have the reigning Heisman Trophy winner being suspended for any length of time. Leslie McDonald's problems have been going on for a lot less time but the effects are just the same. Hairston and McDonald's situation greatly alters the 'Heels starting lineup. Marcus Paige moves into the starting Shooting Guard position (he is a natural Point Guard) and Freshman Nate Britt moves into the starting Point Guard position. The only other two "guaranteed" starting positions are J.P. Tokoto and James Michael McAdoo. It looks like the 'Heels will open with a three-headed monster at Center with Desmond Hubert, Joel James, and Kennedy Meeks all getting playing time until one separates themselves. That is also 15 fouls to give from the Center position. Desmond Hubert is the best defensive player of the bunch, Joel James has a lot of upside, and Kennedy Meeks has the most polished offensive game to this poing. All three have the size that the Tarheels lacked last year so hopefully, Coach Roy Williams three guard experiment is over except for maybe small stretches during games.

Exhibition Play

UNC beat UNC-Pembroke the other night in an exhibition game 82-63 and it is hard to read too much into that. I remember a few years ago Kentucky lost an exhbition game to a Division III school and went on to do pretty well that season. The 'Heels went into the game minus three players (Hairston, Tokoto, and McDonald) that are expected to log major minutes for the 'Heels. All three will miss regular season games this year and the NCAA has to decide how many. I won't get started on the blatant unfairness of the NCAA and their regulatory body. Starting Point Guard Marcus Paige took over at Shooting Guard, Freshman Nate Britt took the Point, and McAdoo, James, and Johnson rounded out the starting five. The 'Heels had a serious height advantage over Pembroke but turnovers, all 23 of them, killed them. Turnovers were a big reason why Pembroke pulled to within 7 points in the second half. James Michael McAdoo (19) and Freshman Kennedy Meeks (11) were the only two in double figures, McAdoo and Brice johnson had 10 rebounds a piece, and Britt led the team with 6 assists. The Tarheels were only 3 for 15 from the three point line but did hit 23 of 27 free throws. It was an exhibition game. Coach Williams and the 'Heels have their work cut out for them. They should be much better by the end of the season than they are at the beginning.

Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad

To borrow from the lyrics of rock musician Meat Loaf, two out of three ain't bad. The two out of the three would be James Michael McAdoo and P.J. Hairston returning to the Tarheel basketball team for their Junior seasons and the one would be Reggie Bullock leaving to go to the NBA. I believed that it would be the other way around. There are a lot of factors that go into making this decision and projected draft position in usually #1. McAdoo was projected towards the end of the first round, Bullock was projected early in the second round, and Hairston was projected not to be drafted at all. Only first round draft picks are guaranteed contracts. I do not be3lieve that Reggie Bullock had the full endorsement of Coach Roy Williams when he announced his decision. I believe he should have come back for his Senior year to work on his game and improve his draft position.

Roy Williams Is A Class Act

When Roy Williams had his press conference immediately following the 'Heels 79-58 win over Florida State, his first thought were of Florida State's coach Leonard Hamilton and the passing of his 96 year old mother. Not many high profile coaches would have done that. The game itself was impressive. P. J. Hairston had an impressive shooting game hitting 4 of 6 three pointers and finishing with 16 points. James Michael McAdoo led the way with 21, 17 of those in the first half, and Reggie Bullock had 20. That may have been the Tarheels most impressive performance of the season, especially the way they closed out the first half scoring on 13 of their final 14 posessions. Marcus Paige had an impressive game running the show with 9 assists and 3 turnovers. That moves the 'Heels to 21-8 with games remaining at Maryland and the season finale at home against Duke. About three weeks ago there were questions about the 'Heels ability to even make the NCAA tournament and now the 'Heels are closing in on a first round bye in the ACC tournament.

Officials Control The Game

The officials lost control of the NC State-UNC game early on yesterday afternoon and it degenerated from there. John Thompson's philosophy at Georgetown was the officials are not going to call everything and his teams played that way. They were very physical, got away with murder, and it greatly influenced the outcomes of games, usually in their favor. NC State only uses 6 or 7 players throughout the course of the game and I don't know if that influences how they call a game or not, but yesterdays game was very physical and I have to question the timing of some of the calls. Reggie Bullock was called for a foul in which he whacked a NC State player on the back as he drove in for a shot, but the official did not make the call until the player actually missed the shot. Even the announcer made mention of the fact. James Michael McAdoo continually got mugged all day long, including a hip check that sent him flying across the lane (no call) but the most curious had to be the double call against Scott Wood and Dexter Strickland in the second half. Scott Wood gave a forearm shiver to Strickland and I saw no real retaliation by Strickland but Wood walks away holding his head so they call the double foul. The 'Heels did not shoot their first free throw of the game until there were about 5 minutes gone in the second half. Basketball is a game of skill, precision, and finesse. If I want to watch football or hockey, I will turn to a different channel or wait until the fall.

Three Point Shooting Contest

At the beginning of the game against Georgia Tech, I thought the Tarheels may have gotten into the spirit of the NBA All-Star weekend and started their own three point shooting contest. The problem was they weren't hitting any of them and they sure didn't hit any "money balls." The offense finally got untracked when James Michael McAdoo got involved just moving to the basket on some screen-and-rolls. He scored several easy baskets on his way to 22 points and 11 rebounds. Leslie McDonald easily had his best game since returning to the lineup with 15 points on 4 of 6 three point shooting. That helped to cover for P.J. Hairston's worst shooting game (4 of 15 and 1 or 7) since becoming a starter in "small ball". All of this added up to a 70-58 win for the 'Heels and they need to win the games they should from here on out until the ACC Tournament. Wins over State and Duke would also be a great help.

Nothing Comes Easy

I don't believe anything is going to come easy for the North Carolina Tarheels this basketball season. The 'Heels had to go to Overtime to beat the Virginia Tech Hokies today 72-60 and the Hokies are one of the bottom feeders in the ACC this season. James Michael McAdoo led the way with 22 points, most on 15 foot jumpers from the free throw line against Virginia Tech's zone defense. Marcus Paige had a career high 19 points, hit 4 of 10 three-pointers, had 5 rebounds, and 5 assists. He keeps improving game-by-game. The 'Heels actually managed to get to the free throw line 27 times (about ten more times than their average), hitting 19, and for a change, their free throw shooting put them over the top and they were able to finish off the game. Jackson Simmons got a career high 18 minutes and only scored 2 points but I am still impressed by his play. He is always around the ball and always seems to be in position to make a play.

Thoughts On Georgia Tech

North Carolina's 79-63 win over Georgia Tech last night was one of those "blah" wins that I came to expect as a UNC fan. They beat an opponent they should have beat without too many problems and nothing really spectacular happened with the exception of P.J. Hairston's massive dunk in the second half that really punctuated the win. Reggie Bullock had another solid game with 17 points, Hairston had 15, and James Michael McAdoo had 14. Desmond Hubert had a career high 5 blocked shots. He reminds me a lot of ex-Tarheel Warren Martin. When Martin came to UNC in the mid-1980's he was very raw, especially offensively. By the time he graduated, he was a defensive force, a solid rebounder, and he contributed offensively. I see Hubert following the same track if he puts in the work. The 'Heels also got solid contributions off the bench against Georgia Tech. J. P. Tokoto, Jackson Simmons, Brice Johnson, and Joel James all played solid basketball. A huge game against NC State in Raleigh is on Saturday.

Two Games In One

The Tarheels win over the Maryland Terrapins on Saturday January 19th featured two games for the price of one. There was the first half in which UNC played outstanding defense, forced Maryland into 15 turnovers and got their hands on several more balls, Reggie Bullock shot lights out and outscored Maryland by himself 21-20, and had a 42-20 lead at halftime. The second game that was played out in the second half saw Maryland be allowed back into the game, the 'Heels only score 20 points on 8-34 shooting and 1-10 from the three point line, and hold on to win 62-52. This game was the best and the worst the Tarheels had to offer. I am hoping that the first half was a glimpse of what the Tarheels can become on a consistent basis. Reggie Bullock led the way with a career high 24 points (21 in the first half) and James Michael McAdoo had 19 points and 11 rebounds.

Finding An Identity

In the Tarheels 77-72 win over Florida State this afternoon, the Tarheels may have found their identity. P.J. Hairston took over the leadership role on the court today. He was taking it hard to the basket and hitting his outside shots and when he is doing that, he is the hardest Tarheel to defend. He had two thunderous dunks and was 4-9 from the three point line. He led the way with 23 points. James Michael McAdoo had 14 points and Reggie Bullock had 12. The Tarheels were beasts on the boards, outrebounding FSU by 16 and the opportunity at second chance points is what won the game for the 'Heels. UNC had 14 offensive rebounds to FSU's 5. I was also impressed by the play of Sophomore Jackson Simmons as he had a career high 8 points and always seemed to be in the right place at the right time, diving on the floor for loose balls, and playing solid defense. I believe that if North Carolina is going to go with Marcus Paige as their starting Point Guard, then they need to start Hairston at the Shooting Guard and bring Strickland off the bench. With Strickland in his offensive slump the past couple of games and Desmond Hubert being an offensive project, the 'Heels cannot afford to play 3 on 5 on offense. It was a badly needed win and hopefully a mission of discovery for the 2012-13 North Carolina Tarheels and what they need to do as a team to win games.

Looking For A Leader

North Carolina needs someone to take charge. Reggie Bullock took the leadership role off the court by calling a players only meeting before the Miami game. He saw the need to iron out a few things that needed addressing. Now the 'Heels need someone to take a leadership role on the court. The Tarheels let a tight game at the Deandome slip away from them in the last few minutes in a 68-59 loss to the Miami Hurricanes. James Michael McAdoo led the way with 14 points, Reggie Bullock had 11 points on 4-16 shooting, Marcus Paige and Brice Johnson had 10 points a piece. The 'Heels only shot 40 percent for the game (33 percent in the second half, were outrebounded (by one), and they just need someone to step up. Reggie Bullock made the effort but could not hit the big shot. The 'Heels are still looking for their "go to guy." They really need someone to step up at Center. The three-headed monster is just not being as productive as they need to be. Brice Johnson needs to be the one to step up here. Desmond Hubert and Joel James are still projects at this point in their career. Hubert continues to get the starts but he tends to be an offensive liability and that is not able to overcome his defensive strengths right now. Joel James has a solid skill set but lacks experience. Dexter Strickland had one of the strangest stat lines I have ever seen in a box score for a guard. He had one field goal attempts and that was it. 0 points, 0 assists, 0 rebounds, 0 turnovers- 0 everything except that one field goal attempt. His speed is such a tremendous asset on the defensive end and he needs to use that advantage on the offensive end as well. I have seen him blow right by people like they were sitting still. I would like to see J.P. Tokoto get more time based on his sheer athleticism. He had 4 steals in 12 minutes of playing time against Miami. They need a leader to take charge on the court.