New Zealand Breakers Sign Dan Fotu

Rising kiwi basketball prospect Dan Fotu is fulfilling a childhood dream by signing a two-year contract with the New Zealand Breakers.

The Former Rangitoto College student has spent the last four years playing College Basketball for California's Saint Mary's Gaels. He returns to Auckland at the end of the month with a Bachelor of Business Studies.

The 2.01m power forward is the first signing for new Head Coach Mody Maor who is targeting top kiwi talent in rebuilding the Breakers' roster.

"I have been in text contact with Mody for more than a year, and I've got a great relationship with him," said Fotu from his San Francisco base.

"He's messaging and calling around a lot of the young kiwi basketballers and seeing if everyone's all good; he definitely has what's best in mind for the Breakers and the future.”

Maor says Fotu has all the characteristics he wants in his new Breakers' team.

"Dan is a tough, physical competitor, and I'm genuinely excited about his potential," said Maor.

"He will develop into an impactful player for the Breakers, and I'm personally looking forward to helping him navigate the first stages of his pro career."

The younger brother of Tall Blacks Star Isaac, Dan Fotu grew up close to the Breakers' training facility and was an Academy Player at age 14.

He led the Junior Tall Blacks to a gold medal at the 2016 FIBA U18 Oceania Championships.

Fotu also captured back-to-back National Secondary Schools Basketball titles with Rangitoto College in 2015 and 2016 and captained the side that finished runner-up in 2017.

As a Breakers' Development Player, he made his debut for the club against the Perth Wildcats as a 17-year-old.

At 18 years old, Fotu made his Tall Blacks debut against South Korea at the Asian World Cup Qualifiers before heading to College in the States.

When he finally takes to the court for the Breakers, he wants to continue a tradition of wearing the number 42.

"The number 42 is my family number; my brother Issac has it, and my older sister Ella, who plays for the Tall Ferns, has it. 42 sounds like our surname, Fotu," he laughs.

"It was Issac's idea, and he first wore 42 at Rangitoto College, but he was so good they retired the number in his honour, and I wasn't allowed to wear 42, so I had to wear 15!”

"It's always been a dream to come back to the club that essentially raised me wearing the number 42 and letting my mum, dad, and grandma see me playing for the team I love.”

Fotu brings a wealth of College Basketball experience to the Breakers.

He has played 126 NCAA Division one games, averaging 17.7mins 5.8 points at 50 percent from the field, and 3.4 rebounds.

As a senior this year, he played all 34 games for the Gaels off the bench, averaging 6.3 points and 3.0 rebounds in 13.9 minutes per game.

Fotu posted a career-high 22 points against Notre Dame Fighting Irish, shooting 89 percent from the field, earning him the West Coast Conference Player of the Week Accolade.

He also pulled down a season-high eight rebounds and 19 points in an early-season win against Texas Southern and secured four steals against Yale in December.

"I've been blessed to play every single game at Saint Mary's since I've been here; I like to think I was a big part of the success where we beat the number one team in the nation twice," said Fotu.

The Breakers' pre-season does not begin until August, however, fans will be able to catch a first glimpse of Fotu wearing number 42 for the Auckland Tuatara in the NZ NBL at the end of the month.