Warrior Insider

The Inside Source for Hawaii Men's Basketball
Search

Standhardinger and Fotu honored by Big West Conference

Christian2OleMiss

The Hawai’i basketball team introduced itself to the Big West Conference this season, and Christian Standhardinger and Isaac Fotu apparently made impressive first impressions.

Standhardinger was named to the All-Big West Conference first team, and Fotu was named the Big West Conference co-Freshman of the Year, in the annual awards announced by the conference on Monday.

Standhardinger, a 6-foot-8 junior forward from Germany, leads the Warriors in scoring at 15.9 points per game, and is second in rebounding at 7.9 per game. He is shooting 50.7 percent from the field, and also leads the team in steals with 44.

“I thought Christian had an outstanding year and did deserve to make that first team,” head coach Gib Arnold said. “He’s been consistent all year, both scoring and rebounding, and also been a guy that’s drawn some tough defensive assignments.”

Fotu, a 6-foot-8 forward from New Zealand, is averaging 9.9 points and 6.3 rebounds per game, and leads the Warriors with a .643 field goal percentage. He shared the Freshman of the Year award with UC Irvine point guard Alex Young (9.2 points, 4.1 assists per game).

“He’s been tremendous for us,” Arnold said of Fotu. “I’m very pleased for him. That’s a great honor. He’s a special player, and just going to get better.”

Fotu1OleMiss

Senior center Vander Joaquim received honorable mention on the All-Big West Conference team. There were six players selected to the first team, and five on the second team.

Joaquim, who was a first-team All-Western Athletic Conference selection last season, is averaging 14.1 points per game and is currently second in the Big West in rebounding at 8.4 per game.

UC Irvine head coach Russell Turner said: “Vander Joaquim is an exceptionally talented big guy. I’m surprised he did not get more recognition on the all-conference team than he did.”

Regular-season champion Long Beach State took the top awards, with senior wing James Ennis named the Big West Conference Player of the Year, and Dan Monson receiving Coach of the Year.

The six players on the All-Big West Conference first team are: Ennis, Standhardinger, Corey Hawkins of UC Davis, Chris Eversley of Cal Poly, Mike Caffey of Long Beach State, and Alan Williams of UC Santa Barbara.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE COMPLETE LIST

The Warriors finished the regular season with a 17-13 overall record and fifth in the Big West at 10-8. They will face UC Irvine in the quarterfinals of the Big West Conference Tournament on Thursday at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. The game will start at approximately 5:30 p.m. (Hawai’i time).

13 Comments

  1. Congratulations guys all the team coaches and fans, in my heart and thoughts I share the pride of their families

  2. Congrats King Christian & Fro2 for your individual respective honors.
    You had examplified to the rest of the Warriors how to perform for the TEAM.
    Appreciate for some of the excitements in the regular season.

    Fans are nerviously waiting to see what kind of D and O the TEAM can do at tournament time!?

  3. Ozi Mum:

    Appreciated your thoughts on last update about Tattoos, I think probably all of the parents of the team, are wary of their children getting them. The association with the tattos in some areas of the world and USA are dangerous. And, as you alluded to, the health risk. That is why Isaac was looking for a cheap, safe tattoo artist if anyone knew of.

    In Polynesia, Samoa, Hawaii, Tahiti, Tonga, tattoos are part of culture. For Hawaii Football team Warriors , many have the tattoos,because of culture, however you are correct, our young ones in our family, we caution, since they are adults, have choice to get a tatto, think seriously about it first, the health risk, the association with perhaps a bad element of society, or criminal element. Happily, none have chose to get tattoos. When young, at Disneyland, they have temporary tattoos, or the ink stamped type, nice and safe.

    You really care for Ozren, great advice to your son, and I am pretty sure, parents of the other players, talk to the guys before they proceed. In Hawaii, some tattoo artists, charge up to $1000.00 US money for a single arm of tattoo art work, so the expense is very costly.

    Personally, I don’t care for the permanent tatoos, or the ones that are very strange and have no cultural, or family meaning. The safe, stamped, fun type, maybe a temporary small one that says.: Go Hawaii Warriors would be okay, I guess.

    Great that you spoke to Ozren. Sometimes, with the younger generation, that is the thing to do. Smart phones, smart pads, and tattoos. They have to make wise chices!

  4. And a BIG SHOUT OUT to Christian Standhardinger! FIRST TEAM ALL BIG WEST! Outstanding Christian! As you said from last summer, you would bring 100% effort, whatever it took to help team and get wins. The Big West made and outstanding choice in your selection. Keep up the good work, and help your team to win Irvine game and chance to advance!

    A BIG CONGRATULATIONS to Isaac Fotu! Tonganator, I am sure you and your Ohana are very proud. Isaac is , probably, the most highly skilled young Big, that I have ever seen play for the University of Hawaii Basketball team in decades. Now, Isaac, go out and don’t hold back on Offense and Defense! Do your best, work with team , get the win against Irvine and advance!

    Vander, pretty sure, if you did not get hurt , or statistics were a few higher, you would be 1st team too! Honorable Mention is good! Now , go out, give it your best on Offense and Defense, help team to win, stay on court for 30-35 minutes, get your 20pt 15 rebound 3 block shot, and 10 intimidations in the Irvine game, help team to win and advance to the Dance! Congratulations on being recognized as one of the Big West’s Best, although, coach, might probably think you should be an all Big West member too!

    KUDOS and MUCH WELL DESERVED RECOGNITION TO CHRISTIAN, ISAAC AND VANDER!

  5. TribeVx4:

    Enjoyed your positive and upbuilding comments about team and coaches. Thank you from a lot of long time UH MBB fans. As I commented before, Aaron has a lot of potential, a great athlete, a star in BB and Water Polo( one of the toughest cardio sports in the world). Look Forward to Aaron’s athleticsim and hops he will bring to UH next year, alongside, Michael Thomas, Keith Shamburger, Garrett Jefferson, Brandon Spearman, Manroop Clair(hopefully, I know he will, be bigger and stronger!). There are some of the quick, athletic players that will upgrade UH next year.,

    However, this year not over. TribeVx4, don’t know if you will be going to Anaheim, Honda Center, the game will be on Fox Sports , don’t know, hopefully they don’t black out Big West tournament in California, so you can watch the games!

    Mahalo again, thank you for the great comments from a parent of a Men’s BB RS, one Aaron Valdes.
    All the 16 guys on team are friends, and that is great. A lot of contributors, say bottom line win, which is true, it is a business, fo coach , AD and UH. However, if the team does not have chemistry, or there are factions, then team not united, and it affects play and morale. This team, I don’t see that, at the SSC and on the road. Pretty good young guys!

    Hope team gets the win against Irvine! Then they can move on to semis!

    Go Warriors!

  6. Well done Isaac, Christian and Vander. You deserved reward for hard work and this recognition goes to the team as well because they contribute to this achievement.

    Thanks Uhfanzonly1for your posts, I really enjoy reading them as they are always positive with constructive cretique and analysis of the games. I have come to learn more about basket ball from reading the posts. And you are right, we in Aotearoa are proud of what Isaac have achieved thus far and hopefully he will continue to contribute to the ongoing success of the UHMBB.

    Shout out to the rest of the players Ohana.

    Cant’ wait for the tournament to begin.
    GO WARRIORS

  7. Congratulations Christian, it has been an absolute pleasure watching you during this season. You are so hard working on the court – when you show your emotions you can really tell that you care alot about your performance and its contribution to the team. I play the game with you when it is like that and that is probably why you have so many fans in Hawaii and globally. It is also very special to be acknowledge by the conference for your performance. Enjoy the accolades and then go out and blitz Irvine and the rest of the contenders at the conference!

    Issac, fantastic acknowledgement of your skills and performance. How fortunate we are to have you on the team and how great that you are a friend and team mate of my son. In my experience the friends you make at University are lifelong and it is privilege for all young Hawaii freshman to have you as part of their Freshman experience. Congratulations Issac, your family should be very proud of you. PS Keep up the filming career just in case basketball doesn’t work out for you lol.

    Vander, great work all year – go out and dominate Irvine and then the rest of them.

    Go Warriors

  8. Congratulations, Christian & Isaac…

    Vander & Brandon Jawato, …
    THIS WEEK Show Them why you shoulda been regarded Higher As Well…

    ALL-Tournament Team is a good Cap for This & Lead-in to Next Season

  9. Congrats Christian and Isaac! Both awards were well deserved and merited. Coaches from around the conference had taken notice. It is a true reflection of all of the hard work and dedication that they put in. The future is looking very bright for the program with those two returning next year.

  10. Christian definitely deserved his 1st Team selection. Relentless effort and efficient play makes him a great player and will be the leader next season.

    Fotu kinda got slighted by only getting co-freshman of the year. He was far more efficient than Alex Young. Fotu shot 63% from the field vs 40% by Young. Young, who’s a guard, shot 27% from 3pt range.

    Dan Monson won coach of the year by default. I don’t think anybody was outstanding since nobody was good on the road, and nobody had a quality non-conference win.

    Vander only getting honorable mention is disappointing because its a reflection of his inconsistent effort this year. Very disappointing considering he was 1st Team all WAC last year, which was a better conference, and the Big West is very thin on F/C talent. The good news is that Fotu has a lot more talent than Vander and I think Fotu will be one of the top power forwards in the entire West Coast before he’s done.

    Big West Tourney u p next and UH got probably the best possible draw when you look at the potential matchups. So don’t count out UH making some noise this week if they can get by Irvine.

    UH will live of die with Vander’s play. If he’s fully engaged for 40min then UH has a very good shot at beating Irvine. He’s got to be a force in the paint and get to the foul line. Vander got in foul trouble in the loss to Irvine. He was playing efficiently but his foul situation forced him out of the game.

  11. Welcome back Ozren Pavlovic to Warrior Basketball Team! Good job taking care of academics, very important! Now, work hard with team and help UH get that first win against Irvine!

    Maybe, tell Gib, to keep you on certain spots on floor, where you can be a catch and shoot 3 ball launcher. That is where you excel, have Gib design plays for you to come off screens, or stay in wings or top of the key, waiting for Vander, or Fotu to kick out to you for 3 ball shot. Just relax Ozi, have fun, and play some D, rebound, hustle, get some assists, steals, make FT’s , and practice hard with scout, somehow, all 11 of you guys on team are going to be needed to get one win against Irvine, and possiblly 3 to take BWC tournament!

    Nice to have Ozi, play like you did back in Croatia, just play loose, have fun and play big time Basketball! Get those wins in Anaheim. Should be fun, don’t want to be one and done!

  12. Congratulations Christian and Isaac. This is a real good accomplishment in your career. We are real proud of you guys as well as the rest of the team. Now let’s have a great showing in the BW Tourny.

    Uhfanzonly1

    We will be at the BW Tourny cheering on Hawaii. We can’t wait. FYI the games arenot blacked out in So. Cal. They will be shown on Fox Sports West out here, so this will be a good time for UH to shine so that other recruits can see what UH basketball is all about.

  13. Its like you read my mind! You appear to know so much about
    this, like you wrote the book in it or something. I think that you can do with a few pics to drive the message home a bit, but instead of that,
    this is magnificent blog. A fantastic read. I’ll definitely be back.

Leave a Response

Login or fill in the fields below to comment. (New user? Register)

Supporters