The high arrival of UNC's J.P. Tokoto at NC Pro-Am

On Thursday afternoon, before another evening of NC Pro-Am ball, I made my weekly haircut visit to Midway Barber shop in Carrboro, NC, which is only a few blocks from UNC’s campus.  Former UNC power forward, Byron Sanders was seated next to me as we both waited for our turn in the barber’s chair.  I knew that my barber—a lifelong Tarheel fan—would be happy to know that I’d be checking out incoming UNC  freshman high-flyer, J.P. Tokoto.  Some folks, including my barber, have already compared the kid to another unbelievable, legendary Tarheel dunker, VinceCarter.  I’d agree that the two share the same athletic ability, but Carter’s lift-off was less majestic.  When Tokoto jumps, it looks like he’s climbing while in mid-air and adjusting his attack in stages, rather than simply elevating.  Depending on what type of dunk he does, he stays in flight with an almost infinite amount of time to shift, double-pump, twist, or spin before throwing the ball down. 

During his years at UNC, Harrison Barnes was given the nickname, “Black Falcon”, but now it seems more appropriate to honor Tokoto with a nickname befitting of a creature that glides through the air.  We’ll see what sort of clever names the UNC students come up with during the basketball season. 

Hopefully it’ll be better than “Black Frenchie”, which is what my barber calls J.P. Tokoto, who’s named after his grandfather,--former Cameroonian soccer player Jean-Pierre Tokoto.   Like many Tarheel fans who were wildly curious about who in the world would come in and fill a roster troubled by the loss of four pivotal players, my barber had already familiarized himself with UNC’s 2012-2013 recruiting class.   Tokoto was high on his radar.  Barbers are notorious for telling tall tales, and on that Thursday afternoon mine tried to convince me that he once saw Vince Carter do a double-between-the-legs dunk.  That probably never happened, but there’s nothing that suggests that Tokoto won’t pull it off sometime soon, maybe even at NC Pro-Am.  

Week 2 at NC Pro-Am: New Blue Devils and turkey burgers.

Believe it or not, sometimes there’s way too many distractions in N.C. Central’s McLendon-McDougald gymnasium to focus on the basketball games.  On Tuesday, between K97.5 FM’s radio personalities, Brian Dawson and Wade Banner deejaying, adorable mohawked six-year-old boys dancing to their tunes, delicious yellow cheddar cheese popcorn from Durham’s The Mad Popper, and watching newspaper reporters make bets on which of them could do the impossible and convince Rasheed Wallace to give them an interview, amazing things needed to happen on the court.

The evening opened up with the Wheelchair Bridge to Sports players battling it out in a game that came down to a tie-breaking shot in the last seconds.  Disabled and restricted to wheelchairs, their combined athleticism was just as inspiring as the dozens of amateur, college and pro athletes who would later on exhibit their own breathtaking athleticism, both on foot and in the air. 

So, if NC Pro-Am’s opening night was N.C. State freshman Rodney Purvis’ coming out party, then this Tuesday night’s coming out party belonged to Duke’s Mississippi State transfer Rodney Hood, and Duke freshmen Amile Jefferson and Rasheed Sulaimon.  But Jefferson’s stickman agility, Sulaimon’s barking enthusiasm, and Hood’s late baseline three-pointer weren’t enough to stop former NC State guard, Alex Johnson—who, in his second game of the night--spoiled the Duke newcomers’ Pro-Am debut, by following up Hood’s shot, with his own long-range, game-winning three-pointer.  

  

NBA Rookie of the Year and USA Select Team point-guard Kyrie Irving was scheduled to play Tuesday evening, but had bigger fish to fry out in Las Vegas, crossing-over veteran Team USA players and prepping the team for the upcoming London 2012 Olympics.  Duke’s Quinn Cook filled whatever void Irving’s footwork-absence might have left, showing-off a multiple-spin-move before a fast break layup.  Also, during halftime, Cook spontaneously threw down a 360-degree dunk .  Those that saw it were just as surprised as he was—including fellow Blue Devils, Tyler Thornton and Seth Curry, sitting on the bench in streetwear, hyping-up the guy whose main duty will probably be running next year’s Duke’s offense.

But enough about basketball.  Like I said earlier; there’s too many distractions.  Last year, I found myself making one-too-many trips to the concession stand for Chic-fil-a sandwiches.  I ate one per game.  That’s four chicken sandwiches and an extra five pounds of body fat that I don’t need.  Tuesday night, I discovered that the good folks at the concession stand are selling turkey burgers.  My favorite, ON DECK!  But there’s absolutely no way I can eat four of those.  I’d fall into a coma after the second one. Ain’t nobody got time for that—especially during Pro-Am.

Greater NC Pro-AM Basketball League: NC Pro-Am Shares Its Debut Night With NBA Draft

Greater NC Pro-AM Basketball League: NC Pro-Am Shares Its Debut Night With NBA Draft

NC Pro-Am Shares Its Debut Night With NBA Draft

This year, the first evening of NC Pro-Am play in Durham, NC, fell on the same summer evening as both the NBA Draft, and a day before what the weather guys were saying would be the city’s “hottest day ever”.  Tomorrow, the heat index would rise to 110 degrees, four Tarheels would have homes at four NBA Western Conference teams (UNC forward, Tyler Zeller’s, draft rights were later traded to Cleveland), Raleigh native, Darius Johnson-Odom would end up with the L.A. Lakers, and both the New Orleans Hornets and the Indiana Pacers would have a Blue Devil.  All those guys have played at NC Pro-Am and they’d all probably agree that it can get just as hot on the court inside NCCU’s McLendon-McDougald Gymnasium as any record-setting temperature outside.

Most fans were anxious to see how N.C. State freshman Rodney Purvis would look playing among his new ACC family.  Well, he was the night’s leading scorer with 35 points and looked just as tough and chiseled as some of the floor’s veterans.  Right behind him in scoring was N.C. State teammate, C.J. Leslie and Wolfpack alum, Alex Johnson, who poured in 7 three-pointers.   Purvis and Leslie should turn out to be a fruitful pair next season, but this summer you should look for the two to be in the middle of some entertaining court battles. 

Michael DeLoach never looks like he should be able to explode-stretch to the bucket for the dunks he showed off on Thursday night, repeatedly.  If I remember correctly, last year most of the former-Norfolk State guard’s tricks came in the backcourt, breaking down some of the league’s best guards.  Portland Trailblazer-guard, Nolan Smith, played alongside Deloach,  showing equally dazzling footwork on fast-breaks.  When announcer, Bill Murphy announced over the PA system, that Smith’s former Duke teammate, Austin Rivers, had been drafted to the New Orleans Hornets, Smith and Seth Curry gave eachother a smiling nod of approval at half-court.   Loud cheers erupted from the stands when it was announced that both UNC’s Harrison Barnes and John Henson had been drafted. 

One of the big stories from last summer’s Pro-Am league was when UNC shooting guard, Leslie McDonald sustained a season-ending knee injury during one of the games. However, a few hours before his debut at this year’s Pro-Am, McDonald tweeted, “I've been playing intense pickup games with the NBA alumni and my teammates ....i believe I'll be fine in the ProAm ‪#Lol”  McDonald proved it with a few quick flashes to the hoop and an amazing alley-oop dunk from Tarheel teammate, P.J. Hairston.  After losing Harrison Barnes to the NBA, the Tarheels must feel a little better knowing that McDonald is healthy again and that there won't be as big of a void in their perimeter play.

Father-and-son duos, community teenagers, NCCU students, and Triangle residents were all entertained by flashy playground basketball and by crowd-favorite, Rasheed Wallace, who’s on-the-court outbursts and goofin’-off loosened up the environment. This The Herald-Sun cover story from earlier that morning, suggested that this summer’s Pro-Am could have somehow been ruined by local troublemakers.  That wasn’t the climate on Thursday evening.  I saw pro and college athletes giving kids autographs, college basketball rivalries put to the side and people eating boxes and boxes of popcorn like they were at the movies.  But this was just the preview of what should turn out to be a hot and exciting summer for basketball in Durham. 

Enjoy your July 4^th parties and cookouts and get yourself ready to come back to McClendon-McDougald Gymnasium, for more NC Pro-Am play, starting again on July 10^th.

Q&A with Duke Freshman Austin Rivers

By Mark Carroll - Blog Coordinator

After Austin Rivers' 30 point performance in Team Hendrick's win over Triangle G, the incoming Duke guard stopped by and talked about his summer.

Q: What has your experience been like so far at the Pro AM?
A: Oh it's been great. Just getting to come out here and play against the top players in the state of North Carolina and all around the United States is just fun to get to come out here and play.

Q: Is there any particular aspect of your game that you're looking to improve right now?
A: Just basically a little bit of everything. Tonight I was finishing with my left a little bit more and just trying to get after it a little bit, and we ended up winning so it was all good.

Q: You've got Kyrie (Irving) and Jay (Williams) out here also. Do you feel like you've got some shoes to fill out here or any pressure like that?
A: I mean I just don't look at it like that. Those are two great players that played here at Duke, you know, legendary players at Duke. They both dominated their freshman seasons, so hopefully I can do that, but right now I'm just concentrating on doing everything I can do to win.

Q: Austin, I see your family here. That's kind of cool playing in front of them, right?
A: Yeah it's always nice, my family is real busy, so just to have them come down here and be with me means a lot to me. My best friend and my whole family, and for everybody to come down really means something.

Big 12 Transfers to Give Eagles a Boost

By Mark Carroll - Blog Coordinator

North Carolina Central's transition to Division I college basketball could get a lot smoother this year, thanks to a couple transfers from the Big 12. Forwards Dominique Sutton and Ray Willis will be eligible to play in the 2011-2012 season, and fans can definitely expect a boost for this year's Eagles team.

The two teamed up Wednesday night to lead Team Jamison to a 105-64 victory over 751 South in dominating fashion. During the rout, the two new faces for NCCU made their presence known.

Sutton, formerly of Kansas State, had 14 points at the break, but showed off his versatility in a second half performance that included a four-point play after he was fouled on a deep 3-pointer. The Durham native, primarily known for his defensive and rebounding skills, drew the loudest cheers on the offensive end with his explosive dunks and long-range ability.

Oklahoma transfer Willis was also a fan favorite, blowing away the opposition with his exceptional ability in transition. The redshirt junior is a tremendous scorer, and his athletic ability makes him tough to stop when playing up-tempo basketball.

After last year's .500 season, Sutton and Willis will be stepping in to lead the Eagles into MEAC play.

Old Face and Young Star Compete in Tight Game

By Mark Carroll - Blog Coordinator

Former NC State great Julius Hodge may be remembered as much for his playful personality as he is for the talent he showed off throughout an exceptional college career.

Fans had an opportunity to see both at the NC Pro-Am on Tuesday night as the 2004 ACC Player of the Year squared off against Washington Wizard point guard John Wall.

Hodge got started early in the first half, finishing a bucket through a foul and doing the "John Wall Dance" in the face of the top overall pick in the 2010 NBA draft. The fun taunting continued throughout the night between both players, but Wall ultimately got the last laugh.

With time winding down, Wall brought the ball up the floor for his team's final possession with the score tied 71-71. He then drove to his right, getting a shot off as he was fouled by Hodge with .9 seconds remaining. Hodge finished with a game-high 20 points, but Wall got it done from the charity stripe to lead Triangle Gastroenterology to a two-point lead over 751 South that stood after incoming Duke freshman Quinn Cook's desperation 3-pointer fell short.

Wall (12 points) got some help in the victory from Tar Heel newcomer PJ Hairston, who contributed 18 points, including multiple eye-opening slams. Hairston used his athleticism to get to the basket, as he was guarded throughout the night by bigger defenders such as former UNC star Jawad Williams (10 points), and Duke big man Miles Plumlee (10 points).