J.P. Tokoto

Wheat Hotchkiss

The Pacers held their third pre-draft workout on Thursday, and this one was a little different than the previous two. Both of the previous workouts featured at least two post players, but all six players visiting Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Thursday ply their trades on the perimeter.

Five of the six prospects are either 6-5 or 6-6, with Louisville point guard Terry Rozier measuring out at 6-2. Rozier and Kentucky's Andrew Harrison are projected to run the point in the NBA, while the other four prospects (Nebraska's Terran Petteway, North Carolina's J.P. Tokoto, UNLV's Rashad Vaughn, and Maryland's Dez Wells) are hoping to carve out a niche for themselves on the wing.

PHOTO GALLERY: Thursday's Pre-Draft Workout »

The abundance of perimeter players made Thursday's workout, led by Pacers head coach Frank Vogel and his coaching staff, especially intense. The lack of bigs opened up some room for players to display offensive versatility during three-on-three sessions.

"Everything is going so fast, but still everyone is competitive," Rozier said. "You don't have to worry about sometimes big guys dragging."

Tokoto added: "Everybody plays different spots, I was guarding Rashad Vaughn so we were moving around from wing to post, that kind of thing."

I had the opportunity to speak with all six prospects during their visit to The Fieldhouse. You can watch those interviews in the video player above and read below for brief notes on each prospect.

The Battle for the Bluegrass made its way north into the Hoosier State on Thursday. Harrison and Rozier are very familiar with one another, having played on opposite sides of the Kentucky-Louisville rivalry for the past two seasons. They went head-to-head in a workout in Utah on Sunday and faced off once again on Thursday at The Fieldhouse.

"He's a good competitive person and it's always good to go against someone competitive you test yourself," Rozier said. "So if I can get him in more workouts, it would be a lot of fun."

Though they went to rival schools and are both jockeying for draft position, there's no bad blood between Rozier and Harrison, who both turned pro after their sophomore seasons.

"He's always going to be a Louisville guy and I'm always going to be a Kentucky guy," Harrison said. "But to be honest, we're trying to move on now and move on to the next level."

At just a hair under 6-6, Harrison has great size for a point guard. He's an excellent passer and operates well in pick-and-roll sets. His numbers were diluted in college playing alongside a slew of future pros, but he also showed a willingness to sacrifice for the good of the team and learned to play in a system that has proven to prepare players for the NBA.

The biggest knock on Harrison is his offensive efficiency. Though he shot a solid 38.3 percent from 3-point range as a sophomore, his overall field goal percentage was a paltry .378. He will definitely need to improve his ability to score the ball from inside the arc if he wants to succeed at the next level.

Rozier, meanwhile, is hoping to prove that he can run the point after playing mostly shooting guard during his final season with the Cardinals. Rozier averaged an impressive 17.1 points per game for head coach Rick Pitino's squad.

"I sacrificed for my team, they needed me to score the ball that's pretty much what it was," Rozier said. "...It was a lot of fun, but I know I can play point guard at the next level and I know that's what I'm trying to show teams."

Rozier's biggest focus is on fine-tuning his inconsistent outside shot. He knocked down 37 percent of his 3-point attempts as a freshman, but shot just .306 from beyond the arc as a sophomore.

"My jump shot is looking pretty good right now," Rozier said. "That's one of the things I was mainly working on as soon as my season ended, my college career ended."

Athletic Tokoto Refining Game for Next Level

Like Andrew Harrison, J.P. Tokoto's college statistics aren't eye-popping, in part because he also played for a blue-chip program alongside numerous McDonald's All-Americans.

But Tokoto does have one bona fide skill set that should translate immediately to the NBA: He's an excellent defender. Blessed with great length (he has a 6-10 wingspan) and strong natural instincts, the former North Carolina Tar Heel has all the tools to hold his own against the most dynamic scoring guards.

Tokoto averaged 1.6 steals per game as a sophomore, when he was named to the ACC All-Defensive Team, and followed that up by averaging 1.5 thefts per contest as a junior.

Basketball wasn't Tokoto's first love. His grandfather, Jean-Pierre Tokoto, was a professional soccer player who starred for the Cameroon national team that played in the 1982 World Cup. Young J.P. originally played soccer as well before picking up basketball as a teenager. He credits the skills he learned on the pitch as playing a major part in developing his defensive instincts on the hardwood.

"You've got a soccer ball in front of you, you're not really watching the ball you've got to watch the guy as well because he could fake you out with his body," Tokoto said. "So it's kind of watching both ball and man. I kind of translate that to the court, watching guys, how they move and giving them space and of course my length helps a lot and my quickness but that's one of the major things is my footwork."

As good as he is defensively, Tokoto's offensive game raises some serious question marks. His athleticism will allow him to collect a few points per game off hustle plays or in transition, but he will also need to knock down shots from the perimeter, a skill he lacked in college. Tokoto made just 21-of-79 shots (26.6 percent) in three seasons in Chapel Hill.

For that reason, Tokoto has been working on refining his shooting mechanics.

"Footwork is the biggest thing to me," Tokoto said. "Stepping into the shot, not waiting for it to hit me, not hopping into it kind of one, two step. Keeping my elbow in instead of out. If you keep your elbow out you're pushing the ball (sideways), keep it in and you're pushing it forward."

Rashad Vaughn was the youngest participant in Thursday's workout. Vaughn, who won't turn 19 until August 16, went pro after just one season at UNLV.

During his abbreviated college tenure, Vaughn proved himself as an elite scorer. He averaged 17.8 points per game and shot a solid 37.8 percent from 3-point range in 23 games for the Runnin' Rebels, including a 21-point performance in an upset win over #3 Arizona just before Christmas.

Vaughn tore his meniscus in February, ending his season, but he said on Thursday that he is completely recovered.

In terms of raw talent, Vaughn may have been the best prospect at Thursday's workout. At his age, he has plenty of room to develop, particularly on the defensive end. It may have been a risk to turn pro so early, but Vaughn is hopeful he can work his way into the first round on draft night.

"It's always been a dream of mine to do and the opportunity presented itself, so I just took the chance," Vaughn said.

Dez Wells is nearly five years older than Vaughn, but he's hoping that experience can be to his benefit as he fights to make an NBA roster.

In his four years in college, Wells tallied 1,710 career points while competing in three major conferences. He was the Sporting News Atlantic 10 Freshman of the Year at Xavier before transferring to Maryland. He averaged 14.9 points per game and was named third team All-ACC as a junior and then was voted to the coaches' All-Big Ten first team during his senior season, the Terrapins' first in a new league.

Wells believes his wealth of knowledge from his time in college will help him transition quickly to the next level.

"I can adjust a lot quicker to the physicality, the speed of the game," Wells said. "I feel I can adjust to the sets and the overall knowledge of the game...I think I have experience over these guys."

Wells' maturity was on display his senior season, when he improved his 3-point percentage from .304 as a junior to .510 as a senior, albeit on just 49 attempts. The 6-5 shooting guard credits that improvement to having better shot selection and making sure to "pick and choose" his spots.

A childhood friend and high school teammate of John Wall, Wells has had several people in his corner as he prepares for the NBA. One of those is Maryland coach Mark Turgeon, who also coached Pacers guard Donald Sloan at Texas A&M.

"Coach Turgeon knows him really well and he did a great job of prepping me and getting me ready to come to the Pacers and (making sure I knew) things about the franchise," Wells said.

Like Wells, Terran Petteway proved himself as one of the best scorers in the Big Ten.

Petteway, who started his college career at Texas Tech before transferring to Nebraska, led the conference in scoring as a sophomore, averaging 18.1 points per game. The Cornhuskers also made a surprise appearance in the NCAA Tournament that season.

Petteway continued to light up the scoreboard during his junior year, but the Huskers struggled as a team, going just 5-13 in conference. After topping 18 points per contest for the second straight season and completing enough coursework to earn his degree, the 6-6 wing elected to forego his final season of eligibility and enter his name into the draft.

Petteway has good athleticism with a 6-11 wingspan. In the short portion of 3-on-3 work the media was allowed to watch, Petteway skied for an emphatic slam dunk on the baseline and also blocked a shot at the rim. He's hoping performances like that will open enough eyes that an organization takes a chance on him at draft night.

"I'm trying to prove that I'm a two-way guard and that I can be a guy that can come in and score and also guard my position," Petteway said.

The Pacers own the 11th and 43rd overall selections in the 2015 NBA Draft, which will take place on June 25 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

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Pacers Turn Attention to the Perimeter

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Pre-Draft Workouts: May 28, 2015

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Height: 6-6
Weight: 196
Position: SG
College: North Carolina
Age: 21

PPG: 8.3
RPG: 5.6
APG: 4.3
BLK: 0.3
STL: 1.5

Player BioCourtesy of North Carolina Athletics

Had 722 points (6.7), 469 rebounds (4.4), 292 assists and 128 steals in 107 games • Scored in double figures 33 times • Improved his free throw percentage from .476 through his first two years to 61.5 percent as a junior (.544 for three seasons) • Made 12 of his 21 career 3FGs in 2014-15.

Ranked sixth in the ACC in assists, eighth in assist-turnover ratio (1.9) and ninth in steals • Was the only forward to rank among the top 10 in the ACC in assists • One of four players in the ACC ranked in the top 10 in both assists and steals and the only one of the four that was not a point guard • Second on UNC with 163 assists and 56 steals • Led outright or shared the team lead in assists 20 times • Had five or more assists 15 times with a high of 10 against Robert Morris (five or more in eight of the last 15 games) • Third on the team in rebounding • Grabbed at least six rebounds in 12 of the last 14 games • Tar Heels went 11-4 when he scored in double figures • Was second on the team in getting to the free throw line with 117 attempts • Had a team-high 85 turnovers with single-game highs of six four different times • Had more assists than turnovers in 13 of the last 16 games – and was even in the other three contests • Had 73 assists and 27 turnovers in those 16 games • Was second on the team in minutes played with 29.1 per game • Made five three-pointers since the start of ACC play • Carolina’s leading rebounder over the four ACC Tournament games at 6.8 per game • Shot 50 percent from the floor (8 of 16) and had 19 assists, eight turnovers (five in one game), three blocks and five steals in the ACC Tournament • Averaged 8.0 points, 5.3 rebounds and a team-high 5.0 assists in the NCAA Tournament.

Game Highlights: Had 13 points, eight assists, two steals and no turnovers vs. Arkansas • Was his highest assist game without a turnover in his career and the third time he had eight or more assists • Grabbed a defensive rebound with 30 seconds to play in a tie game and pitched the ball ahead to Marcus Paige who converted a 2-on-1 break by sending a bounce pass to Justin Jackson for the winning basket vs. Harvard • Hit a three-pointer vs. Harvard, the second straight game with a 3FG (first time he made threes in consecutive games since November) • Had seven assists, six rebounds, four steals and only one turnover in the ACC championship game vs. Notre Dame • Made a three-pointer vs. the Irish, his first since 1/26 vs. Syracuse • Solid all-around performance vs. Boston College as he grabbed a game-high nine rebounds, had four assists and a season-high three blocked shots without a turnover and helped limit first-team All-ACC guard Olivier Hanlan to 5 of 19 FG • Carolina’s defensive player of the game (second of the season) in the win at Miami and recorded his third double-double this year with 10 points, 10 rebounds, six assists and four steals • His four steals led to seven UNC points • Had five of his six assists in the second half as the Tar Heels outscored the Canes, 41-34 (his five assists matched UM’s total for the half) • Had 12 points, six boards and five assists and a memorable coast-to-coast slam vs. Georgia Tech on 2/21 • Stellar all-around game at Duke with 15 points, eight rebounds (four offensive), seven assists, no turnovers, two blocks and three steals in 37 minutes • Was 7 for 15 from the floor at Duke, the most field goal attempts he has taken in his career (15 total in the three previous games) • Had five assists and no turnovers and made a career-high seven free throw in eight attempts at BC • Did not start at BC for the first time since the UCLA game on 11/27 • Did not register a field goal against Virginia (finished with one point, one rebound, three assists and no turnovers), the first time since late in his freshman year that he did not score a field goal • Had 11 points and 11 rebounds, including four offensive, at Louisville, but also equaled his career high with six turnovers (second straight game with six) • Carolina’s defensive player of the game in win at NC State as he helped limit State’s Trevor Lacey to 4-13 FG • Had five assists and scored on a three-point play as part of a 10-0 UNC run • Had five assists and no turnovers in home win over Louisville • Game-high seven assists in the win at Clemson (assists on UNC’s first four baskets in second half) • 19 points and 10 rebounds against William and Mary • Tied his season scoring high and set his season rebounding high • Had five of his team-high six assists in the first half in the win over Ohio State • Season-high 19 points and eight assists against East Carolina • Went a career-best 5 for 5 from the free throw line against the Pirates • Terrific first-half vs. Iowa with seven points, five rebounds, three assists and three steals • Made nine three-pointers in his first 73 college games, then hit four (two in each) back-to-back games against UCLA and Florida • Had 10 points, three assists and four steals in win over UCLA and hit a pair of three-pointers, the first time in his career he made multiple threes in one game • Had 10 assists against Robert Morris, the first time a UNC forward had 10 assists in a game since Jason Capel against Buffalo on 12/17/2000.

Earned ACC All-Defensive team honors from both the media and the league's head coaches • Led UNC in steals (55), was second in assists (103), fourth in rebounding (5.8) and fifth in scoring (9.3) • Tied for second in the ACC in steals in conference play and was fifth in all games • Grabbed 132 defensive rebounds, which tied for second and were just eight off the team lead • Scored in double figures 16 times (eight in ACC play) and has three double-doubles (against Michigan State, Davidson and NC State) • Scored in double figures in seven of the last 10 games • Made 51 for 96 from the floor (.531) in the last 12 games • Season scoring high of 22 against Davidson and ACC scoring high of 16 at NC State • Handed out 49 assists in the last 13 games (3.8) • Had five or more assists eight times • Led UNC in assists in 10 games, second only to Marcus Paige • Had more assists than turnovers 21 times, including each of the last eight games (31 assists, eight turnovers in those eight games) • Made eight three-pointers (had one as a freshman) • Had multiple steals in 15 games with three or more seven times • Shot .519 FG/.582 FT in UNC's 24 wins and .418 FG/.323 FT in the 10 losses.

Was 9 for 14 from the floor in the two NCAA Tournament games • Had 11 points and six rebounds against Iowa State • Three-point play with 2:20 to play tied the game at 74-74 in the win over Providence • Scored 10 points, tied his career high with six assists and had three steals (that led to five UNC points) against the Friars • Was the fourth time in the last seven games he led the Tar Heels in assists.

ACC Highlights: Went 5 for 5 from the floor including a jumper from the left elbow with 90 seconds to play in UNC's 63-61 win over Notre Dame • Solid all-around effort at Virginia Tech with 12 points, seven rebounds, three assists, two steals and only one turnover in 32 minutes • Spectacular dunk in the first half, but it was his three-pointer with 11:55 to play that broke a 36-all tie, the last time the Hokies were even • Tremendous perfomance in the win at NC State with 16 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and one turnover in 33 minutes • Made 7 of 11 shots from the floor against the Wolfpack • Scored six points in a three-minute span late in regulation that gave UNC its first lead since the opening minutes of the game • Had 11 points and five assists with no turnovers in win over Wake Forest • Nine points, seven rebounds and two steals in win over Duke • Had 10 points and five assists in win at Florida State • Picked up a loose ball and dunked it with 2:36 to play to give UNC a 72-69 lead over the Noles • Played solid defense against Pitt's Lamar Patterson, helping to limit the Panthers' standout wing to 5 of 15 from the floor • Very active game at Notre Dame as he scored 13 points on 6 of 13 shooting from the floor with seven rebounds and four steals • Scored nine of his 13 in the first half as he kept UNC close when ND was making early threes • Made only one field goal but had nine rebounds, four steals and tied his career-high with six assists vs. Maryland • Four assists and seven rebounds in win over Clemson • Career-high six assists plus 14 points, five rebounds and three steals in win over Boston College • Had 12 points, nine rebounds and three blocks in loss at Wake Forest.

Pre-ACC Highlights: Posted career highs with eight field goals, five free throws, 22 points, 11 rebounds, four blocks and five steals in overtime win over Davidson• Made 7 of 10 field goals and had 15 points in win over Kentucky First career double-double with 12 points and career-high 10 rebounds in win at #1 Michigan State Scored six straight points midway through the second half to help UNC gain an eight-point lead and take control of the game Scored 16 points on 7 of 11 shooting from the floor at UAB Grabbed nine rebounds against Belmont Then career-highs in points (13, all in the first half), assists (five) and steals (tied, 5) in first college start against Oakland Was 5 for 11 from the floor, including 5 of 6 in the opening half Played 30 minutes against the Grizzlies, 11 more than any game as a freshman.

Averaged 2.6 points and 1.7 rebounds • Did not play against Florida State on March 3rd due to a bruised right wrist • Matched his season high with 10 points and set a season high with three assists at NC State • Scored an ACC-best eight points and had four rebounds and two assists in home win over Georgia Tech • Had a pair of assists and steals in home win over Maryland • Had two assists and a steal in the win at Florida State • Season-high four steals in just 12 minutes at home against Miami • Had a pair of assists and a steal in win over UNLV • Played a season-high 19 minutes at Texas and had a season-high six rebounds • Scored a season-high 10 points and pulled down five rebounds against East Carolina as he went 5 for 5 from the floor against the Pirates • Scored a then-season-high nine points and had four rebounds and two steals in the win over East Tennessee State • Made his college debut against Gardner-Webb and scored six points • Grabbed four rebounds, hit his first three-pointer and had a pair of assists against Chaminade • Had five points and two steals at Indiana against the top-ranked Hoosiers.

Played for coach Dan Leffel at Menomonee Falls High School • Three-time first-team all-state selection • Two-time team captain • Averaged 24.6 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.6 steals as a senior • Set a dozen school records, including career scoring (mark that had been held for the previous 19 seasons), rebounding and steals  • Career stats included 1,737 points and 1,014 rebounds • Set the school’s single-game record with 48 points against Catholic Memorial • Averaged 21.2 points, 13.2 rebounds, 3.2 steals and 2.1 assists as a junior and earned Greater Metro Conference Player of the Year honors • Won the 2012 American Family Insurance Slam Dunk contest in New Orleans.

Born Jean-Pierre Tokoto in Rockford, Ill. • Birthday is September 15 • His parents are Trevor and Laurence Trimble • Played soccer until age 13, when he first began to play basketball • His grandfather, J.P. Tokoto, played for the Cameroon national soccer team • Majoring in exercise and sport science in the sport administration program • Last name is pronounced TOE-kuh-toe.

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J.P. Tokoto: 2015 Draft Prospect

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Thursday's Pre-Draft Workout Participants

The Indiana Pacers will host six prospects for the 2015 NBA Draft at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Thursday for pre-draft workouts.

The six players scheduled to participate in workouts are Andrew Harrison (Kentucky), Terran Petteway (Nebraska), Terry Rozier (Louisville), J.P. Tokoto (North Carolina), Rashad Vaughn (UNLV), and Dez Wells (Maryland). Players are subject to change.

PHOTO GALLERY: Thursday's Workout Participants »

The 2015 NBA Draft will take place on Thursday, June 25 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The Pacers own two picks in this year's draft, one pick in both the first and second rounds, the 11th and 43rd overall selections.

J.P. Tokoto

Pacers Turn Attention to the Perimeter

Pre-Draft Workouts: May 28, 2015

J.P. Tokoto: 2015 Draft Prospect

Thursday's Pre-Draft Workout Participants

Pacers to Hold Next Pre-Draft Workouts on Thursday