Benjamin Worgull
Badgernation.com
Mar. 3, 2011
MILWAUKEE - In the end, the history and tradition of Carolina Blue was too much for the home state Cardinal and White.
Surrounded by his teammates, mother, stepfather and a packed media room Thursday evening at Dave and Buster's restaurant, junior shooting forward J.P. Tokoto, one of the most talented players the state has ever seen, ended his recruitment by choosing to play for North Carolina starting in fall 2012, news he confirmed to Scout.com.
Ranked a four-star athlete and the seventh-best shooting forward in the country by Scout.com, Tokoto narrowed his list to Connecticut, Kansas, Kentucky, Marquette, Maryland, North Carolina, UCLA, and Wisconsin on February 14. Over the next two weeks, Tokoto took unofficial visits to Chapel Hill Feb.21 and Maryland on Feb. 23 before sitting down to make his decision.
Over the course of his recruitment, no two schools went after him harder than the Badgers and Tar Heels.
UW Coach Bo Ryan first offered Tokoto as a high school sophomore in 2009 and the Badgers, according to Tokoto's stepfather Trevor Trimble, did the most leg work recruiting him, from traveling to AAU tournament to Falls High for home games. In the last year, Tokoto has made unofficial visits to two football games, including UW's victory over No.1 Ohio State, and three basketball games, including victories last season over No.5 Duke and this season over No.1 Ohio State.
His visit to North Carolina was Tokoto's fifth such trip, but it was his first time visiting the campus while school was in session.
"Our main reason [for visiting] was because we had never been while school was in session," Trimble said to Scout.com previously. "J.P. was able to go to various schools while they were in session, but he never got the opportunity at Carolina.
"What we wanted to build from an influential standpoint, was you want to see it in full mode. We've been to Wisconsin in full mode and Marquette. We've been to Kentucky in full mode. This was just one school that we haven't seen in full mode."
Sitting down with his family Monday, that experience clinched the deal and just like Kohler's Joe Wolf 29 years ago, Tokoto will take his talents to Chapel Hill, N.C.
Tokoto is the second verbal commitment to North Carolina's 2012 class, joining four-star point guard and good friend Marcus Paige (Marion, IA).
Stay tuned to FOXSportsWisconsin.com and badgernation.com for more content regarding Tokoto
