Hawaii’s "Fro-do Baggins" went there and back again.
Isaac Fotu, the Rainbow Warriors’ freshman forward from New Zealand, returned to his signature afro this week after losing a bet to a teammate and getting his hair straightened for last Saturday’s Big West Conference opener against Cal State Northridge.
Fotu has quickly earned cult status among UH fans captivated by both his unique ‘do and his instant impact on the court. Expect a return to full ‘fro status for Thursday’s 7 p.m. game against Cal State Fullerton at the Stan Sheriff Center as the ‘Bows seek a 2-0 start to Big West play.
There’s already been a game unofficially dedicated to Fotu, when UH made the Nov. 16 Illinois game "Wig Night" and the student section abounded with poofy Fotu-esque ‘fros. His trademark disappeared for the Northridge game (a 74-71 UH win in which he had 16 points and 11 boards) because Fotu lost a 3-point-shooting competition against center Davis Rozitis.
"It’s been unique to me," Fotu said of the ‘fro, which he started cultivating upon his arrival in the islands over the summer. "That’s how people recognize me, so I think it’s cool. I’m going to keep it going."
It has been incredibly rare for a UH true freshman to receive such attention, and rarer still for one to merit it. Yet his teammates and coaches agree that it has been deserved.
"I’ve said that I think he’s a special player, and he’s going to have a great career here. He’s a guy that’s got a great skill-set and a great feel for the game," UH coach Gib Arnold said.
In starting the last five games, Fotu is averaging 12.8 points and 8.4 rebounds while shooting 68 percent from the floor. He has two double-doubles in his last three games.
Combined with senior center Vander Joaquim and junior forward Christian Standhardinger, UH’s frontcourt is widely considered the most potent in the Big West. The 6-foot-8 (6-11 or taller with ‘fro), 235-pound Fotu is a true back-to-the-basket player who excels with a diet of solid footwork, hook shots, pump fakes and putbacks.
"There was one occasion where we all three went to the rebound in the last game," Standhardinger said with a laugh. "Vander and Fotu, everybody fell down, and I had the easy putback. Everybody’s looking at them two, trying to box them out … I just come sneak in.
"But no, Fotu’s an amazing player. I’m very grateful of the opportunity to play with him."
He developed his repertoire in part as a full-fledged member of the New Zealand national team at age 17, making him one of the youngest Kiwis ever to join the "Tall Blacks." He also spent time with the development squad of the professional New Zealand Breakers. It allowed him to develop against older, stronger players.
As an indicator of his overall ability, the biggest thing the UH coaches have stayed on Fotu about is his unfailing unselfishness. This is a guy who names "passing out of double teams to get my teammates open" as one of his favorite aspects of the game.
Fotu — who deliberately, fittingly wears No. 42 (Fo Tu) — appeared on UH’s radar when he was playing with New Zealand at the Boris Stankovic Cup in Guangzhou, China, last summer. UH was there to watch Joaquim play with Angola in the same tournament.
"When I first saw him, (the passes) was what I noticed first," UH assistant coach Scott Fisher said. "That unique ability to sense the timing and spacing. … A lot of guys just don’t have that. You just see that he understands speed. He sees the whole court. That’s something you can’t teach."
The ‘Bows beat out St. Louis for his services when Fotu took a visit to the islands in the fall of 2011 and felt in tune with both the multicultural basketball team and his father’s Tongan roots. He has some extended family on Oahu, as well.
New Zealand is unequivocally his home, though, and they do more than cast spells and kill orcs in the land of "The Lord of the Rings." Fotu grew up playing rugby, like his father, Manu, a native of Tonga who moved to New Zealand when he was 15.
Manu Fotu met Isaac’s mother, Jenny, on a university trip to England. Isaac lived there until he was 7, then relocated with his entire family to the north coast of Auckland, N.Z.
Fotu, now 19, can often be found dunking on his own or with a teammate after practice because the joyous act of throwing down was foreign to him until relatively recently.
Early in his high school days, he was a dual-sport player — rugby and basketball. Fotu swelled up to 300 pounds, which helped him in the former sport but not the latter. His high school and Breakers coach, Lawrence Lianda, helped put him on a plan that would eventually get his weight down and mold him into a mobile low-post force.
"I used to be a lazy guy. That’s why I was 300 pounds. I love working hard now. I’d rather be called untalented than lazy," Fotu said.
These days, it’s impossible to peg him as either. Fotu wants to be a pro basketball player, and will play in summer tournaments with the Tall Blacks if they call upon him. But any such action would be with a mind to get better at UH, he said.
"I’m just looking forward to spending four years here," Fotu said. "I wouldn’t want to play anywhere else. I’ve set goals for myself and hopefully for how the team, they all involve winning different things. Hopefully all that will come true if we just work hard and do the right things."
Losing the contest to Rozitis and spending an hour and a half at a hair salon couldn’t shake his ‘do or his can-do attitude.
"Frotu" is back again.
