Fotu, Standhardinger on All-Big West first team
The University of Hawai’i basketball team landed two players on the All-Big West Conference first team, which was announced on Monday.
Senior forward Christian Standhardinger was named to the All-Big West first team for the second consecutive year. He is just the second UH player to earn first-team all-conference honors in back-to-back seasons (Predrag Savovic earned All-Western Athletic Conference first team honors in 2001 and 2002).
Sophomore forward Isaac Fotu was also named to the All-Big West first team. Last season, he was named the Big West Conference co-Freshman of the Year.
This also marks the first time in program history that two Hawai’i players were named to the all-conference first team. UH played in the WAC from 1980-2012, and the Big West the past two seasons.
Here is the official release from the Big West:
IRVINE, CA – Big West regular season champion UC Irvine claimed two prized awards to highlight the announcement of the 2013-14 men’s basketball all-conference team as determined by the nine head coaches.
Russell Turner earned his first Big West Coach of the Year honor while pupil Luke Nelson secured Freshman of the Year accolades.
UC Santa Barbara junior Alan Williams was tabbed the Big West Player of the Year and Cal State Fullerton senior Michael Williams rounded out the marquee list as Newcomer of the Year.
Turner, in his fourth season at the UCI helm, directed the Anteaters to a 13-3 conference record and the first outright Big West championship since 2000-01. UC Irvine amassed the third-highest win total in program history with a 22-10 regular season mark – just three wins shy of tying the school record. Turner’s troops enter the Big West Tournament as the No. 1 seed for the first time since the 2000-01 club earned that designation. He also has led UCI to back-to-back 20-win seasons – 43 overall – representing the program’s second-highest win total in any two-year period. Defense led the way this season as UCI went 20-0 when limiting the opposition to under 40-percent shooting and 15-0 when holding the opponents to less than 60 points. Turner is UCI’s fourth Coach of the Year recipient, and first since 2001.
Nelson is the second straight UC Irvine player and the fifth in school history to notch the Big West’s top freshman award. Nelson’s backcourt mate, Alex Young, received co-freshman of the year acclaim last season. The Worthing, England native led the Anteaters in scoring with 11.8 points per game and posted double figure points 22 times, including a career-high 28 against Long Beach State on Feb. 6. He also poured in 26 points with a career-best six three-pointers at UC Santa Barbara on Jan. 30. A starter in 30 of UCI’s 32 games, the 6-3 guard ranks fifth in the Big West with 67 three-pointers.
Alan Williams joined Brian Shaw (1988), Lucius Davis (1992), Branduinn Fullove (2003), Alex Harris (co-2008) and Orlando Johnson (2010) as the sixth Gaucho to earn the Player of the Year award. The 6-7 center topped the Big West in scoring and rebounding, and he’s ranked in the top 15 nationally in both categories for much of the season. The Big West scoring champion at 21.6 points per game, Williams sits at No. 2 in the country in rebounding (11.6 rpg) A native of Phoenix, Ariz., Williams scored in double digits in 26 games, including 18 with 20 or more points, and recorded the conference’s second-best double-double total with 15. Williams set two career-bests this season when he scored 39 points against South Dakota State and registered 20 rebounds versus UC Davis.
Among the Big West leaders, he also ranks seventh in field goal percentage (.538), second in blocked shots (2.4 bpg) and eighth in
steals (1.2 spg). His season’s accomplishments also include becoming the 26th player in UC Santa Barbara history to amass 1,000
career points, and just the fourth with at least 1,000 points and 800 rebounds.
Michael Williams, a transfer from San Francisco, excelled in his lone season on the court for Cal State Fullerton. He is the third Titan honoree to be tabbed Newcomer of the Year in the four years the award has existed. The 6-2 guard started all 30 regular season games and scored at least 10 points in all of them. As the team’s scoring leader at 17.6 points per game, Williams produced a dozen performances of 20 or more points, including seven times in the last 10 contests. Williams registered a season-best 29 points at UC Santa Barbara (Feb. 22) and made 12 of 18 shots en route to 28 points in a victory over Long Beach State (Mar. 1). The native of Van Nuys, Calif. ranked fourth in the Big West with 68 three-pointers, and hit at least one trey in all but one game.
The All-Big West First Team features three players with back-to-back selections – Long Beach State junior Mike Caffey, UC Santa Barbara’s Alan Williams, and Hawai‘i senior Christian Standhardinger. Hawai‘i sophomore Isaac Fotu, Cal State Northridge junior Stephen Maxwell and UC Irvine senior Chris McNealy made their first appearances on the first team.
Of the 21 players who received first team, second team or honorable mention recognition, 15 have at least one year of remaining eligibility.
2013-14 BIG WEST MEN’S BASKETBALL ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
FIRST TEAM
^Mike Caffey Long Beach State 6-0 Jr. G Corona, Calif.
Isaac Fotu Hawai‘i 6-8 So. F Auckland, New Zealand
Stephen Maxwell Cal State Northridge 6-7 Jr. F Woodland Hills, Calif.
Chris McNealy UC Irvine 6-4 Sr. G Danville, Calif.
^Christian Standhardinger Hawai’i 6-8 Sr. F Munich, Germany
^Alan Williams UC Santa Barbara 6-7 Jr. C Phoenix, Ariz.
SECOND TEAM
Chris Eversley Cal Poly 6-7 Sr. F Chicago, Ill.
Corey Hawkins UC Davis 6-3 Jr. G Goodyear, Ariz.
Tyler Lamb Long Beach State 6-5 Jr. G Ontario, Calif.
Luke Nelson UC Irvine 6-3 Fr. G Worthing, England
Michael Williams Cal State Fullerton 6-2 Sr. G Van Nuys, Calif.
HONORABLE MENTION
Michael Bryson UC Santa Barbara 6-4 So. G Sacramento, Calif.
Will Davis II UC Irvine 6-8 Jr. F Sacramento, Calif.
Josh Greene Cal State Northridge 6-0 Sr. G Los Angeles, Calif.
Alex Harris Cal State Fullerton 6-1 Jr. G Richmond, Calif.
Zalmico Harmon UC Santa Barbara 6-0 Jr. G Washington, D.C.
Stephan Hicks Cal State Northridge 6-6 Jr. G/F Thousand Oaks, Calif.
Dan Jennings Long Beach State 6-9 Sr. F Staten Island, N.Y.
Taylor Johns UC Riverside 6-7 So. F San Francisco, Calif.
Mamadou Ndiaye UC Irvine 7-6 Fr. C Dakar, Senegal
Alex Young UC Irvine 6-1 So. G Phoenix, Ore.
^ Two-time All-Big West First Team selection
Congratulations to Isaac and Christian, well deserved and shout out to Gib and whole team. Great , hard One Ohana effort by whole team.
Now go to Anaheim do your best to win that tournament and get some wins in NCAA tournament. Just do your very best from 1-13 on the roster!
AWARDS…
Congratulations, ALL Big West First-Teamers
Senior CHRISTIAN Standhardinger AND
Sophomore ISAAC Fotu!
Go For Two and Challenge for POY Next Season!
Whoa Tonganator & Family!
Send Gabriella, Too
BIG Brother & ‘Ohana will Help Keep Them Safe and Bring Out Their Best (Both Siblings)
International Power, U.H….
Next Year’s Newcomer of the Year?
Jankovic or Negus?
RESULTS…
Go ‘Bows!
Now Go Blow the Cover Off of the BWC!
WIN THREE!
Yes, Like Senior Night we’ll Love You All Either Way,
Win in The Dance and The WHOLE State Will Be Feelin’ The Love!
Congratulations Isaac and Christian! Great honor!
To win that first, then second, and possibly get to BWC tournament final for NCAA invite? In my opinion, what has been going on since end of game Saturday night. Have the guys, nutrition right, hydrate, sleep, rehab, lift, get mind off basketball for a few days. Also, have trainer, make sure guys are stretched, in condition, taped, and ready to go. It will take a Monster effort to beat those Cali athletes in the BWC tournament. That seems to be a big difference between Hawaii and those upper three and athletic small BWC teams, the Cali guards, and high flying wings. UH MBB team will have to be in top physical and mental emotional state, to have a shot!
Go Rainbow WARRIORS!
😀
As Eagle says, either way, great job on a 20 win season, of course You guys and Gib and Hawaii fans, want more. Go for it!
😀
Congrats to Christian and Isaac! What an amazing honor, to be named to the all-conference first team! First time in program history, what an awesome achievement.
In a way, I think Thursday’s BWC tournament match-up is perfect for Hawaii. Not only do I get to watch it after I get home from work (as does the rest of the state), but they match-up well against Northridge, who are strong on the perimiter but weak on the inside. Our Guards have the very workable task of locking down their guards, while our inside guys can just continue to do what they’ve been doing all season. Time to put on the big boy pants and step up! We took care of Northridge here, and all but beat them over there (which I thought was due to very bogus reffing) so I’m liking our chances. Let’s GO BOWS!!!!
if fotu is offered the max money then I believe fotu leaves….he also knows whats coming back and joining him next season and if he doesn’t like it he’ll say good bye….I hope he stays at least another season but gib you really better go hard on a good powerfoward
The keys for Hawaii if they do well in the BW tournament are Shamburger, Nevels, and Valdes.
When it gets to tournament time, good guard play is always the reason why teams go deep in the tournament. Shamburger has to score at least 10-15 points per game and at least 5 assists and no more than 2 TO per game. Nevels has to get hot from the outside and score 15-18 points per game. These guys can do it, they have the talent. Valdes is the most athletic player on the team. To me, he has been under ultilized by Arnold. He should be playing at least 20 minutes a game. He can rebound, score, and defend. He’s so versatile, but Arnold has been giving him no more than 10 minutes per game is not less. Valdes is capable of scoring 10-14 points in 20 minutes, get about 5-6 rebounds if he’s given a chance to show his talent. If Spearman is not playing well from the get go, I would take him out quick and put in Valdes. That said, Quincy Smith could play a big part if Shamburger is not playing well.
There is no tomorrow. Shoot the ball with confidence with no hesitation when you’re open. When you hesitate, more chances than not, you will miss.
hawaiifan09-
agree with you. Wonder why Dave R. would throw that possiblity out there, Isaac going pro? Well, I know that Fotu wants to stay in Hawaii till senior year, however, if another Really Great, cannot turn down offer comes along, he would think about it. With loss of Dressler 6’10”, Rozitis 7’0″, Standhardinger 6’8″, and possibly a PF at 6’8″, Gib , no wonder he says, recruiting goal, primarily., get Bigs, good ones for next year!
Overseas, probably, have to sweeten deal, not 300K, probably 1.3M over 2 years guaranteed plus , house, car and schooling.
If NBA is Isaac’s dream, still has ways to go. the Strength, create shots off the dribble, the vertical hops, the ball handling. Isaac would be more of a big SF, great foot work, wonder if Gib could hire one of those NZ national coaches, or youth big coaches, to come to Hawaii, Isaac’s footwork, one of the best in NCAA DI for a big.
One thing hawaii, let’s see what Isaac and Christian and company can do in BWC tourney and possible NCAA field. IN NCAA’s he is going up against some future NBA stars, see how he measures up. Can he score against the top 25 team bigs? If he puts up same numbers, against those teams in NCAA”s, his stock goes way up. Still would have to be GUARANTEED thing. no matter from overseas or USA.
Isaac, really enjoy your game, you would have been great with the Fabulous Five, Tom Henderson Teams, AC and Alika, Savo and English, and now with Gib’s Gems! If you come back next year, frontline, Negus-SF, Isaa-PF, Jankovic-hybrid 4/5, Shamburger-PG, Nevels-SG, that five, especially if Negus and Jankovic can play good defense, on penetration out to 3 line, as Negus says, why not challenge for NCAA crown? Same like this year..every team that makes NCAA has the same shot.
Great award for Isaac and Christian once again. Hope Isaac stays for Junior year to get better, and have shot at NBA as hybrid strong SF/PF..i.e. DeJuan Blair. Whatever Fotu decides, we appreciate his hard work and excitement, on helping so far Gib’s past 2 year teams, win a total of 37 games and counting!
In my opinion, Fotu is not even close to being an NBA type caliber player. He still needs to work on his game and staying in college is the best option for him. He has said he want to get his degree and that’s very noble. He should stay in school and get that precious degree before he goes to the pros wherever he goes. Don’t make the mistake like Carl English.
People don’t realize how hard it is to make it on an NBA team. Trevor Ruffin lasted a couple of years. Anthony Carter, with his work ethic and role as a backup point guard had the longest career. He was luck to be coached by Pat Riley and George Karl who liked his game and how he fit well into the roster at Miami and Denver. It’s even difficult to make an NBA D-League team. These guys are very, very good players and waiting for their chance to move up to the big club.
By staying in school Fotu can develop is game more, get stronger, work on his stamina, and his maturity. And besides, he loves his poke bowls (that’s a selling point). Fotu should work on shooting a lot of 3 point shots in the off season to increase his confidence.. Inside, he’s got nice moves, but he can work on hesitation moves and double pump, even trip pump before he goes up for a shot against taller big men. And, work on his ball handling too. So, there are a lot of pluses to staying in school. I know Isaac is a very smart guy and I know Hawaii is dear to his heart and the poke bowls. After school, he will make a good living somewhere playing basketball whether it be in Asia, Europe, or the U.S.
Even an NBA-Capable Player would benefit from Three to Four Years against Good College Competition –
In the Number One Best-Selling Book, “OUTLIERS” about Top, Peak Performance, even the Beatles and Bill Gates needed 10,000 Hours of Practice and Performance to Hone their Skills, Their Game — That’s Four to Five Years Full-Time…
YOU’RE SO GOOD? Prove it with Championships and In The NCAA Tourney Bracket…
Mark Cuban’s argument Against Changes to Three Years College prior to NBA Draft Eligible (HE Apparently CAN Afford A Lot of Mistakes in Drafting) is Weak — The Selfish Play of The Developmental League does NOT Build Good Team Skills And the Players are (More Likely) Less Mature…
Isaac FOTU DOES Understand The Degree Is For a LIFETIME Future, Versus PRO Money Two to Ten(?) Years MAX?
PLUS Much Like Our Really SMART Seniors (Who, To Their Credit, Generated As Many Tears as any Three Guys I’ve Seen), He KNOWS These Days, These Years in Hawai’i ARE Among The Best Days/Years of Their Lives, That You Can Only Live Once…
(I Think) the Reason People Will Keep Talkin’ PROS for Fotu, is that HE WILL Keep Getting Offers and Based on His Improvement and Performance This Season, More Money Than Ever, and i Think A Lot of People Have a Hard Time Imagining Holding Off on Six Figure Contracts — BUT IF You’ve ever Walked Away from Six Figs You Know It’s Just Money AND You Can Do It Somewhere Else…”Plus” Fotu DID get quoted saying a younger, lazier(?) Version of Himself Might Have Just Took the Money and Run… BUT I Think He Has a Bigger Vision Now; As HE said in one of the WI.com Videos (Mahalo, Again, Dayton), he is Really Looking Forward to Playing with his friends (Arms around Jankovic & Negus) for the Next Couple of Years — MY Opinion: Coaches Made Sure And HE Knows He Can Be Part Of THE BIGGEST HAWAI’I Basketball GOLDEN Years…
One More: And A Worthy, Responsible (Ulterior?) Motive — IF Ella’s Here, BIG BROTHER’S Gotta Stay and Make Sure It ALL Works Out for Her — I’m Sure ALL Here Will Help In ANY Way We Can…
Again, Congratulations Christian And Isaac
UH The ONLY Team with TWO First-Teamers
AND We (and the BWC Coaches) Know We have among The Best First Five
This Week would be a Good Time to Make an Argument for a BEST Eight or Ten
UC IRVINE Rose Up — And Stayed — Atop the BWC In Last Year’s Tourney
NOW …May Be It Is OUR Turn to Elevate
GO ‘BOWS!
Good Days, Bad Days — NO Time for Junk
“JUST” DO YOUR Best…
It May Already Be Plenty Enough…
I take one thing back, IF we win the BW tournament and make it to the final four then maybe his stock will never be higher. But we know that won’t happen. We’ve only made it to the DANCE 4 times in history and we’ve been eliminated in the first round all 4 times, once against Weber State, twice against Syracuse, and once by Xavier.
Jerry West said this crop of potential NBA draftees this year is terrible. And I trust Jerry West, more than guys like Dicky V, Jay Bilas, etc. That means guys like Randle, Wiggins, Smart, Parker, etc. need a lot work still to be ready for an NBA. Remember, Anthony Bennett, he of the #1 draft pick last year? Well, he’s averaging a little over 4 points per game and not very good. Remember, Adam Morrison from Gonzaga. I don’t know if he’s even playing in the NBA. It is rare that a very young player one year removed from college can excel in the NBA right away.
Euro-ball is peanuts compared to what Fotu can make if he is drafted in the first round or low second round NBA. All he has to do is improve in each of the remaining years at UH. And hopefully Gib will have teams go to the NCAA finals to showcase his talents.
Awards are fine but winning the Big West Tournament and going to the Ncaa’s is our program’s goal and goal of all the team members. Time to shine Warriors, this is payoff time , three in a row ,come on guys, let’s go!!