UH’s Wiseman adding life chapters

Trevor Wiseman knows the voice. The face, he figures, will come with time.

The Hawaii sophomore forward experienced a life-changing moment this summer when he spoke with his long-lost father over the phone for the first time.

Wiseman made significant on-court strides in the offseason, including adding the basics of low post and perimeter games to the ballhandling abilities unusual for a 6-foot-7 forward. It’s led to a significant bump in his role for the Rainbow Warriors; averages of 7.9 points and 7.4 rebounds per game, and 63.4 percent field-goal shooting.

Amazingly, Hawaii’s hustle king — a role player last season — is the only player to start all nine games for the ‘Bows heading into the eight-team Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic. UH (5-4) opens against Auburn (6-1) of the Southeastern Conference on Thursday at 8 p.m.

Wiseman has progressed in several areas since his freshman year to become indispensable for UH, whether it’s scoring inside, taking a charge, grabbing a loose ball or leading a fast break. But the Southern California native’s biggest summer pick-up was a connection with the man with whom he shares a surname — and little else.

Wiseman was raised almost exclusively by his mother, Patricia, at various spots in the Greater Los Angeles area as a multi-sport youth and then through his years at Golden Valley High School in Santa Clarita. Not once had he spoken to his father, or even learned what Robert Wiseman looked like or did for work. His parents parted ways when Trevor was very young.

However, his mom, now Patricia Rosenkild, told her son that one day his father would reach out to him.

"She kind of knew it was going to happen," Wiseman said. "She told me, she pre-warned me, years back. She’d tell me every year, ‘This is going to happen.’ … I always thought like, ‘No, she’s just saying that. It’s never going to happen.’ But when it finally did happen, I was like ‘Wow, she WAS right.’ "

In mid-summer, Wiseman got a Facebook message from his half-brother, Robert Wiseman Jr., whom he had known of but never met. Robert Jr. arranged for a phone conversation between father and son. One phone call became several, though they were never able to find the right time to link up in person.

"He seems like an all-right guy," Wiseman said. "People make choices earlier in their lives … they think about what they did later on in life. But I don’t fault him. I didn’t really know him back then … I don’t really remember much of it, but I think just him and my mom weren’t working out so I went with my mom."

After several feel-out conversations, it turned out Robert Wiseman owned a tire company and had been within driving distance as Trevor was growing up. He shakes his head at this.

"To find out that he was in Orange County the whole time that I’ve been in California … for all those years, he was actually pretty close to me," Wiseman said. "It was mind-blowing. … I found out, it’s like, ‘Wow, you’re only like an hour or two away, the whole time, for all these years.’

"I definitely want to try to meet up with him and see what he’s about, what he looks like."

Wiseman’s mother encouraged him to play all manner of sports as a youth, and surprised her son by appearing at UH’s win at Louisiana Tech last season. She is at peace with the budding connection.

"I always think they want to find out who’s their parent, and have some contact, because I left early," said Patricia, an accountant who got married and moved to Lindale, Texas, about a year ago. "And so it was up to him when he felt the time was right. I think it was OK for him to do that … In some ways, yes, I did (think it was positive)."

Wiseman has since met his half-brother (his only sibling), but his father might have to wait until the end of his sophomore season. For now, there are a lot more hoops to be had as UH enters the stretch drive of its nonconference season.

The unorthodox forward kicked off the 2011-12 season by serving notice that he would be a major player in the Rainbows’ fortunes with career highs of 19 points and 16 rebounds against Cal State Northridge. Three games later, he had his second career double-double — 10 points, 10 boards — and the game-winning plays vs. Pacific.

"I think Trevor Wiseman affects winning, and that’s a huge thing," UH coach Gib Arnold said. "There’s a lot of talented players who don’t affect winning; they just put up huge numbers. He finds a way, whether it’s a big rebound or a stop or taking a charge."

Wiseman was league co-MVP as a do-everything Golden Valley senior, but was under the radar for Division I teams in part because he admittedly didn’t take academics seriously until late in high school. He qualified at UH, but not without some early academic struggles. Arnold challenged Wiseman to do better in the classroom, leaving him off parts of road trips his freshman year to make sure his priorities were in order. Since then, Wiseman has matured and become one of the better students on the team.

"He responded. In the second semester he had the highest GPA on our team, and he’s doing well now," Arnold said.

New life chapters have come rapidly for Wiseman: his move to Hawaii, emergence as a hoops starter and recent commitment to academics. Perhaps best of all, Robert Wiseman is no longer a blank page.