Derek Cooke Jr
June 8, 2023
JP Tokoto
- Nationality: USA/CAM
- Date of Birth: 15/09/93
- Place of Birth: Rockford, Illinois (USA)
- Position: FRD
- Height (CM): 198
- Weight (KG): 91
- Junior Assoc: None
- College: North Carolina (2012–2015)
- NBL DEBUT: 7/10/17
- AGE AT DEBUT: 24
- LAST NBL GAME: 9/03/18
- AGE AT LAST GAME: 24
- NBL History: Perth 2018
- Championships: 0
- None
BIO: JP Tokoto was born in Rockford, Illinois (USA), Tokoto attended Menomonee Falls High School in southern Wisconsin, where he averaged 21.2 points, 13.2 rebounds, 3.2 steals and 2.1 assist as a junior and 24.6 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.6 steals as a senior, earning three-time first-team all-state selection, set several school records, among them, career scoring, rebounding and steals and the school’s single-game record with 48 points against Catholic Memorial High School.
He also earned Greater Metro Conference Player of the Year honours as a junior and won the 2012 American Family Insurance Slam Dunk contest in New Orleans as a senior.
He played college basketball for the University of North Carolina before playing professionally in the NBA G League, Australia, Israel and Spain.
NBL EXPERIENCE
JP Tokoto made his NBL debut with the Perth Wildcats at 24 years of age. He scored 16 points in his first game.
Tokoto joined the team as a last minute replacement for Devondrick Walker who suffered a foot injury during the pre-season.
Prior to signing Tokoto Perth had added import Derek Cooke Jr. (replacing Jameel McKay) and Lucas Walker (who stepped up from a training player role to replace the retired Shawn Redhage) and big man Matt Knight had also made it public he would retire at the end of the 2017/18 season. Knight’s retirement would come early however as a result of three early-season head knocks. Knight brought forth his retirement in early November adding my responsibility to Tokoto’s shoulders.
The Wildcats started the season 10–3, as they sat atop the ladder following Round 9, but in December, Damian Martin was ruled out for a number of games with an ankle injury.
Injuries saw the team drop to 13–9 in mid-January, then finish the regular season in third place with a 16–12 record, with Tokoto averaging 15.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 2.8 assists for the season.
On the eve of their finals campaign, Martin was named the league’s Best Defensive Player, earning the honour for a record-breaking sixth time and Cotton was named league MVP, becoming just the third Wildcat to win the award after Paul Rogers (2000) and Kevin Lisch (2012). Cotton also earned All-NBL First Team honours while Tokoto earned a spot on the All-NBL Second Team.
In game one of the semi finals series against second-seeded Adelaide 36ers, the Wildcats were soundly defeated (109–74) in what was their second biggest finals loss in club history. The only time the Wildcat’s have lost by a larger margin in their 32-year finals streak was in 1989, when they lost to North Melbourne by 55 points. Game two saw a much closer contents but Perth fell short by one point (88–89), ending this season prematurely.
JP Tokoto played one season in the NBL. He averaged 15.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 2.6 assists in 30 NBL games.
NBL TOTAL STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-18 | 24 | Perth | 16-12 (3) | 30 | 840.8 | 456 | 174 | 79 | 52 | 122 | 48 | 15 | 73 | 82 | 166 | 357 | 46% | 10 | 38 | 26% | 114 | 158 | 72% | 53% | 48% | 30 | Totals | 30 | 841 | 456 | 174 | 79 | 52 | 122 | 48 | 15 | 73 | 82 | 166 | 357 | 46.5% | 10 | 38 | 26.3% | 114 | 158 | 72.2% | 53% | 48% | 30 |
NBL PER GAME STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-18 | 24 | Perth | 16-12 (3) | 30 | 28.0 | 15.2 | 5.8 | 2.6 | 1.7 | 4.1 | 1.6 | 0.5 | 2.4 | 2.7 | 5.5 | 11.9 | 46% | 0.3 | 1.3 | 26% | 3.8 | 5.3 | 72% | 53% | 48% | 30 | Total | 30 | 28.0 | 15.2 | 5.8 | 2.6 | 1.7 | 4.1 | 1.6 | 0.5 | 2.4 | 2.7 | 5.5 | 11.9 | 46.5% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 26.3% | 0.3 | 1.3 | 72.2% | 53% | 48% | 30 |
CAREER HIGHS
| POINTS | REBOUNDS | ASSISTS | STEALS | BLOCKS | TURNOVERS | TRIPLE DOUBLES | 30 | 12 | 9 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 0 |
|---|
NBA EXPERIENCE
JP Tokoto was drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers with pick #58 in the 2015 NBA Draft.
NBA TRANSACTIONS:
- December 19, 2014: As part of a 3-team trade, traded by the Houston Rockets (as a future 2015 2nd round draft pick) with Sergei Lishouk to the Philadelphia 76ers; the Houston Rockets traded Troy Daniels, cash, a 2015 2nd round draft pick (Rakeem Christmas was later selected) and a 2016 2nd round draft pick to the Minnesota Timberwolves; the Minnesota Timberwolves traded Corey Brewer to the Houston Rockets; the Minnesota Timberwolves traded Ronny Turiaf to the Philadelphia 76ers; and the Philadelphia 76ers traded Alexey Shved to the Houston Rockets. (Top-45 protected and not conveyed) (Minnesotas 2nd-round pick in 2015 and 2016 are protected for picks 50-60 and 31-45, respectively.)
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June 25, 2015: Drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2nd round (58th pick) of the 2015 NBA Draft.
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September 7, 2015: Signed a contract with the Philadelphia 76ers.
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October 25, 2015: Waived by the Philadelphia 76ers.
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August 2, 2016: Signed a contract with the New York Knicks.
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October 21, 2016: Waived by the New York Knicks
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
- Israel - Hapoel Eilat (2018–2019), Ironi Ness Ziona (2020–2021) | Czech Republic - ERA Nymburk (2019–2020) | Germany - Brose Bamberg (2021–2022) | Spain - Manresa (2022–2023)
Tokoto joined Hapoel Eilat for the 2018–19 Israeli Premier League season, playing his first season in Israel and appearing in 29 league games while averaging 8.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.2 steals per game in 23.4 minutes. During that season, he shot 50.6% from the field and helped Eilat reach the Israeli League semifinals alongside teammates Amit Simhon and Jordan Loyd.
He then signed with ERA Nymburk for the 2019–20 Czech National Basketball League season, where he averaged 9.3 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in domestic league play while also competing in the Basketball Champions League. Nymburk won the Czech League title that season, and Tokoto featured alongside Jaromír Bohačík and Vojtěch Hruban as the club completed an unbeaten domestic campaign.
For the 2020–21 season, Tokoto joined Ironi Ness Ziona in the Israeli Premier League, averaging 12.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.6 steals per game across 33 league appearances while shooting 53.4% from the field. During that campaign, Ness Ziona reached the FIBA Europe Cup semifinals, with Tokoto contributing in European competition alongside Braian Angola and Tal Dan.
In 2021–22, he signed with Brose Bamberg in the German Basketball Bundesliga, appearing in 32 league games and averaging 9.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per contest while also playing in the Basketball Champions League. He shared the roster with Christian Sengfelder and Omar Prewitt during the season.
Tokoto later joined Manresa for the 2022–23 Liga ACB season in Spain, averaging 6.4 points and 3.1 rebounds in domestic league play while competing in the Basketball Champions League, where Manresa reached the Final Four the previous year. He played alongside Jerrick Harding and Devin Robinson during his stint with the club.
COLLEGE
Tokoto played college basketball at North Carolina from 2012–2015, appearing for the Tar Heels as a freshman in 2012-13 and continuing through his junior season in 2014-15 under head coach Roy Williams.
Across 107 games at UNC, Tokoto totaled 722 points (6.7 per game), 469 rebounds (4.4 per game), 292 assists, and 128 steals, scoring in double figures 33 times and hitting 21 career three-pointers, including 12 threes in 2014-15 alone.
In the 2012-13 season, Tokoto appeared in 35 games and did not start, averaging 2.6 points and 1.7 rebounds per game, and he missed the March 3 game against Florida State due to a bruised right wrist.
As a freshman, he matched his season high with 10 points at NC State and set a season high with three assists in that same game, scored 10 points on 5-for-5 shooting against East Carolina, posted a season-high four steals in 12 minutes against Miami, played a season-high 19 minutes at Texas and pulled down a season-high six rebounds, and had five points and two steals at Indiana against a top-ranked opponent.
Tokoto’s role expanded sharply in 2013-14, when he became a regular starter and earned ACC All-Defensive Team honours as selected by both the media and the league’s head coaches, while also leading North Carolina with 55 steals and ranking second on the team with 103 assists.
In that 2013-14 season, he averaged 9.3 points and 5.8 rebounds per game with 3.1 assists per game, recorded 16 double-figure scoring games and three double-doubles (against Michigan State, Davidson, and NC State), and produced his season scoring high with 22 points in an overtime win over Davidson that also included 11 rebounds, four blocks, and five steals.
During the 2013-14 season’s key moments, Tokoto delivered his first career double-double at No. 1 Michigan State with 12 points and 10 rebounds, scored 16 points with 10 rebounds and five assists in a win at NC State, went 5-for-5 from the field in a 63–61 win over Notre Dame, and had nine rebounds, four steals, and a career-high six assists against Maryland.
In 2013-14, North Carolina finished 24–10 and reached the NCAA Tournament as a No. 6 seed, beating Providence 79–77 in the Second Round before falling 85–83 to Iowa State in the Third Round.
In the 2014-15 season, Tokoto ranked among the ACC leaders as a playmaking forward, finishing sixth in the conference in assists, eighth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.9), and ninth in steals, while also being the only forward to place in the ACC’s top 10 in assists and one of the league’s few players to rank top 10 in both assists and steals despite not being a point guard.
As a junior, he finished second on UNC with 163 assists and 56 steals, logged 29.1 minutes per game, had five or more assists 15 times, and posted 10 assists against Robert Morris, which was the first time a North Carolina forward recorded 10 assists in a game since 2000.
Tokoto’s 2014-15 game highs included 19 points and 10 rebounds against William & Mary (tying his season scoring high and setting his season rebounding high), 19 points with eight assists against East Carolina while going 5-for-5 at the free throw line, and a 15-point, eight-rebound, seven-assist performance with no turnovers at Duke that also included three steals and two blocks in 37 minutes.
Late in 2014-15, Tokoto produced key all-around stat lines in postseason play, including 13 points and eight assists with no turnovers against Arkansas, and seven assists, six rebounds, four steals, and only one turnover in the ACC championship game against Notre Dame, while North Carolina went 11–4 in games where he scored in double figures.
Tokoto improved his free-throw shooting as a junior, lifting his percentage after shooting .476 across his first two seasons to 61.5% in 2014-15, and he also connected on multiple three-pointers in a game for the first time against UCLA during the season, when he scored 10 points with four steals in that win.
AWARDS
- 1x All-NBL Second Team
- 1x NBL Steals Leader
Related
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