Meet the Warriors: Isaac Fotu
Some players are meant to be in a University of Hawai’i uniform. Isaac Fotu is one of them.
There’s his big hair. There’s his jersey number – 42, as in Fo-tu. There’s his heritage –Tongan and English, and he has several Tongan relatives on O’ahu. There’s his affinity for poke bowls and Jawaiian music.
None of that is lost on Fotu, a 6-foot-8 sophomore forward with the UH basketball team. This past summer, he turned down a lucrative offer from a professional basketball team in his home country of New Zealand to return for his second season with the Warriors.
“Right now, I’m happy here – I’m not going anywhere,” Fotu said. “When I went home, I got offered by my team back home, but there was too much here to pass up and leave … right now, I’m staying for all four years, that’s what I plan to do, unless something changes.”
All of the above would already make Fotu a fan favorite. Throw in the fact that he is one of the most skilled young post players to come through the program in decades, and it is easy to see why he has been drawing the most applause from fans this season.
“I think I need to step and kind of be a leader as well as the team captains and step up with everything as well,” he said. “Rebounding, scoring, I need to be a scorer, be aggressive … I know exactly what I need to do this year.”
Fotu averaged 10.1 points and 6.2 rebounds per game as a true freshman last season, and was named the Big West Conference co-Freshman of the Year. He is expected to play a bigger role this season, both offensively and defensively. He and senior forward Christian Standhardinger are expected to start together in the post, meaning Fotu will likely be assigned to defend the opposing center.
“It doesn’t matter – where ever Coach puts me, that’s where I’m going to play,” he said. “I think the Big West is a bit of a smaller contest. It doesn’t really matter about height too much.”
In between games and practices, if he can get his hands on a poke bowl and listen to some island music, he’ll be just fine.
“I remember Nick Milan, our old manager, took me to Foodland to get my first poke bowl and ever since then it was love at first bite,” he said.
boyz fotu, i lyk dem poke bowls 2
Isaac ceiling BB wise so high ,he has an ALL AMERICAN honorable mention type of year, he could be a highly sought junior!! No joke!! Have a great year NCAA bound!!
Eat plenty clean poke bowls!!
Go Raainbows!!
Tonganator. I hope Isaac will have big year When you come see him this year hopefully. UH MBB will be playing for championships!!
Go Bows!!
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Uhfanzonly1.
Isaac — Get “Mean”
NO Mercy on the Opposition
Score Unstoppable as ONLY You Can Do
SO This Team, Your Team, can WIN More Games
Force the BIG West Media and Coaches to Put BOTH You & Christian on The First Team
DO THAT and Likely Hawai’i is IN The Driver’s Seat
Play BIG Enough for YOU & Vander
HOW Ever You Need to Think of it
Take Responsibility, Take Ownership, Take Over
ONLY So Many Players in This League CAN Dominate
THIS Team has MORE of ‘Em than Anyone
BUT YOU Gotta Want It
You Gotta Take It
Like There’s NO Tomorrow
Nothing to Wait For…
ISAAC, Just Take It
Like Only You Can
AND in the Process, i bet you Inspire Christian and Nevels and Spearman to Do The Same
And We Defy Any Other BW Team to Beat That…
Eagle,…I think you have excellent point. ..Sham., Nevels, Christian, Spearman , are excellent. players, if Isaac play with 100% effort as does Christian. ..UH will go dancing , those 5 probably as talented as Fab Five!! Have to play. as team rebound like men and D up as the best in BWC.. They go NCAA’s!!
Eagle.. man oh man.. season starts!!
Go l out Isaacall the time team will follow you upper classmen!!
Team has good potential! !
Go Bows Eagle enjoy season.. going to be good one I can see and feel it, team has to bring it and always improve!!!
Go Bows…lead Isaac!! You can do it.. Poke bowl Power!!!
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Go all out Isaac all the time!!!
Sorry for typos!!!….darn fingers and small virtual keyboards
!!!
Go Bows!!! And Isaac Hawaii loves all you guys !!!
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Uhfanzonly1.
Perhaps if Laura Beeman can sign sister Ella, Isaac will indeed finish his four years here. That would be a coup.
If Isaac can play with 100% passion of Christian, watch out BWC. With Shamburger, Nevels, hopefully a recovered in time Spearman, Q, Rozitis, Valdes, Thomas, Jawato, Harper, Jovanovich, Enos, Filipovich if he is called on, and Hackman, UH will win a lot of games. Key: And Gib and staff and he will let his team know from day one of RBC and beyond, DEFENSE, will help them to win a lot of games and challenge for championships and Post Season , NIT or better yet, the goal for WHOLE team, the NCAA’s.Isaac, having lost weight, and rehabbing his MCL, which still twinges him from time to time, however he is tough, he will play with it, as Vander did. Isaac, is jumping , it seems like 6 to 7 inches higher vertical. He must have gotten word from Gib about the Louisville Mistake Erasers, the guys that get their teeth on the rim and reject any weak stuff at the rim, and are last line of defense for gambling pressure D. Isaac has some nice swats. Same with Christian, when he wants too, he has pretty good timing, he can block shots too. Davis, same thing, as well as AV and MT, and Jovanovich, can reject the weak stuff. Maybe the hard slams too!Isaac, Fotu, the MBB WI Ohana Nation, says Mahalo to Tonganator and Ohana, we look forward to the Fotu’s arriving this season to watch Isaac play, maybe Ella come too, if not in school or her BB season in session. Clyde , just know that , probably through the grapevine, Beeman knows about Gabriella , however they cannot comment on potential recruits. Beeman, took a Gib like gamble, with those Mount Sac big girls, and they could not get in academically, Isaac good student , he got in as UH freshman, hopefully Ella too! Clyde, thing is , if Ella for her Senior Year in HS in NZ, just blows up, a lot of USA D1 schools will be in contact with her..she would have her pick…She really reminds me of a hi motor Shawna Lei Kuehu! She is That Good!Much Success, and we are blessed to have one of the most gifted bigs, at 6’8″ 230, pound, agile, good touch, hands, has to be more agressive, and get every rebound, he is a different breed of big man Melton Werts of 41 years ago. Mel, was a great rebounder, nice hook shot, and shot blocker, however, he put ball on the floor, guaranteed turnover, or his 57% FT shooting , or something like that, Isaac has to shoot close to 80%, he is going to get fouled a lot this year.Isaac, have a great season, stay safe, healthy, look forward to Da Beast Froductions., You and Davis, could have career overseas with your own media show, good sense of humor.! POKE BOWL POWER! ISAAC FOTU, PBP!
Go Bows, and Poke Bowls for Isaac!
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I wonder what is the story on possible additional LOI early signees besides, possible commit, Isaac Flemings? Got this from online:
Basketball (Early Period) early NCAA D1 signing period for Basketball Recruits.
November 13, 2013
November 20, 2013
Basketball (Regular Period)
April 16, 2014
Division I: May 21, 2014
Division II: August 1, 2014
Basketball (Early Period) early NCAA D1 signing period for Basketball Recruits.
November 13, 2013 to November 20, 2013
Basketball (Regular Period)
April 16, 2014 to Division I: May 21, 2014
Division I: May 21, 2014
So far Isaac Flemings, 3 star combo guard…and ?!!
When crunch time comes Isaac you got to to knock them out cold—or they will recover and steal it right from under your nose. Like one bombucha cock a roach: no just slap em. You gotta cut off the head. Make sure the bugga dead.
Isaac so settled in , enjoying Hawaii, and we enjoying his BB skill and personality…I think he might be the first international athlete that played for UH MBB, that is ONE REAL BRADDAH!
POKE BOWL POWER-PBP!!
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Thanks again DM for your tireless work to bring this amazing site to life and in real time. Shout out to Valerie Schmidt Ohana for making it possible for this site to continue informing us and the rest of the world about the UH MBB. I am sure I speak for all the players Ohana around the globe how we really appreciate this site, to have up to date information about our love ones, PRICELESS.
We can’t wait to come over, to experience the SSC rocking during DHC and be part of the MBB Ohana, even if it’s only for a week.
Bring it on!! GO THE MIGHTY WARRIORS
Tonganator, Isaac can be the UH BB Terminator! Terminate the opposition by outstanding play on O and D. He sure came back from NZ in great shape, must be mom’s cooking and love from his Ohana!
Great that Isaac and Ella were national champions, in any country any level of Basketball, that is a fantastic accomplishment!
Look forward to the Fotu’s visit! Isaac will love seeing you! In the mean time, he has BUSINESS to attend to, that means Basketball winning! Great young, man, Hawaii loves him, and he loves his Hawaii and Poke Bowls!
Aloha Tonganator and Ohana!
Uhfanzonly1.