Fotu now out

First, the University of Hawaii men’s basketball team lost its head coach. Now the Rainbow Warriors will be without their best player for an indefinite amount of time.

The uncertainty around the embattled Manoa program reached a new level Wednesday. All-conference forward Isaac Fotu is ineligible to play in NCAAgames as the 2014-15 season approaches, acting head coach Benjy Taylor revealed during a candid press conference at the Stan Sheriff Center.

Taylor was empowered by UH athletic director Ben Jay to take temporary command of the team in the wake of head coach Gib Arnold’s firing on Tuesday along with the dismissal of assistant coach Brandyn Akana.

The eligibility of Fotu –a first-team All-Big West Conference player as a sophomore last season — is believed to have been revoked as a result of improper benefits for a student-athlete, discovered as part of the NCAA’s extensive investigation of Arnold’s program since March.

The NCAA has not yet publicly revealed its list of violations allegedly committed by UH.

Taylor did not address the length of Fotu’s ineligibility term Wednesday, but said he was optimistic to have him back on the court soon for games through an appeal process. The regular season begins Nov. 14 against Arkansas-Pine Bluff in the Outrigger Resorts Rainbow Classic.

"As of right now, he’s ineligible but we’ll do a reinstatement letter and keep our fingers crossed and go from there,"Taylor said.

"(The NCAA) should make a decision soon because they know it’s close to the season. So, Isaac’s been great. Nobody loves this place more than him. We’re hoping that he has everyone’s support. He’s a great kid, and he wants to be here and he wants to play. More so to prove everybody wrong. And more so, too, because he loves those guys in the locker room."

Fotu, a fan favorite in Manoa since his arrival from New Zealand in 2012, was not made available for comment by UH. He practiced with his teammates Wednesday — Taylor said that is something he is still allowed to do — but barring a reversal of fortunes, he will not be on the court for an upcoming closed-doors scrimmage against Brigham Young-Hawaii on Saturday, nor an exhibition game versus Hawaii Pacific University Nov. 6.

In Taylor’s press conference, lasting roughly 30 minutes, he spoke of a program besieged by other predatory DivisionIprograms around the country and also by naysayers here in the islands.

At different points during the revealing question-and-answer session, he said the program was "a rudderless ship"and "a glass house right now." He said he hadn’t slept since the announcement of the firings Tuesday and didn’t think he’d be able to Wednesday night, either.

According to Taylor, four players have been contacted by other DivisionIschools in attempts to lure them away, including true freshman Isaac Fleming.

"The vultures are circling," he said several times.

Taylor, Arnold’s former right-hand man, is operating without any job security; he has not been told he will coach until the end of the season, or even until the season opener. Speculation has abounded that the winningest coach in program history, 73-year-old Riley Wallace, will return to coach.

Players said they voiced their displeasure to Jay about Arnold’s firing — and their support for Taylor –during a meeting with the athletic director on Tuesday.

"We let him know,"senior guard Garrett Nevels said in a press conference preceding Taylor’s. "At least for this season, because we’re already comfortable with him. We’ve had a relationship with him. Just for them to bring somebody new in, two weeks into the season. I mean, that wouldn’t work."

Sophomore small forward Aaron Valdes said, "(The situation) does get in your head, kind of. But I mean, we got brought here to play basketball. Whether it’s for Gib or Benjy, we still gotta play. It’s our job. It’s why we’re on scholarship for. We just gotta get out there and play."

Taylor said two players in particular are wavering in their commitment to the team. He did not name them, but said, "I don’t want them at practice until they can be there 100 percent. We don’t need any more distractions."

The only healthy players not at practice Wednesday were big men Stefan Jankovic and Sammis Reyes.

If UH is without those two for the long term, it will dramatically compound the absence of Fotu in thefrontcourt. The only other true post players on the team are sophomore center Stefan Jovanovic and sophomore small forward Michael Thomas.

"You know, this is a good team, not because of one or two players," Taylor said. "This is a good team. Isaac missed a lot of time with the back issue, from being sore. So some other guys really stepped up. That’s not to say we won’t miss Isaac Fotu. We’ll miss Isaac Fotu. Any practice he’s not at, any game he’s not at. He’s a great teammate; he’s a great player. He’s just great to be around. So we’re going to miss him. But, somebody else has got to step up. Whether it’s done by committee or whatever, but in my opinion he’s one of the best players in the country. So we’re going to miss him."

UH is down to just Taylor and first-year assistant Senque Carey to coach in practices. In a bid to get more help on the court, Taylor said he plans to elevate administrative assistant Brandon Loyd to full assistant coach, pending an OK from UH compliance office. Loyd is a former assistant at Division IICal State Los Angeles.