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Dan Fotu

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Dan Fotu
No. 42 – Gifu Swoops
PositionForward
LeagueB.League
Personal information
Born (1999-07-24) 24 July 1999 (age 25)
York, England
NationalityNew Zealand / British
Listed height201 cm (6 ft 7 in)
Listed weight101 kg (223 lb)
Career information
High schoolRangitoto College
(Auckland, New Zealand)
CollegeSaint Mary's (2018–2022)
NBA draft2022: undrafted
Playing career2017–present
Career history
2017–2018New Zealand Breakers
2022Auckland Tuatara
2022–2024New Zealand Breakers
2023Franklin Bulls
2024Nelson Giants
2024–presentGifu Swoops
2025–Auckland Tuatara

Daniel Joeli Fotu (born 24 July 1999) is a New Zealand professional basketball player for Gifu Swoops of the Japanese B.League. He is also contracted with the Auckland Tuatara of the New Zealand National Basketball League (NZNBL). Fotu debuted for the New Zealand Breakers of the Australian National Basketball League (NBL) in the 2017–18 season before playing four years of college basketball in the United States for the Saint Mary's Gaels. He returned to New Zealand in 2022 to play for the Breakers and to play in the New Zealand NBL. In 2024, he moved to Japan to play for Gifu Swoops. He also represents the New Zealand national team in international competition.

Early life and career

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Fotu was born in York, England,[1] to a Tongan father and an English mother.[2] He briefly lived in England alongside his two older siblings, Isaac and Ella,[3] before the family moved to New Zealand.[2] He grew up in the Auckland region of North Shore.[4]

Fotu attended Rangitoto College in Auckland, where he helped the college win the national schools championship in 2015 and 2016 and then earn a runner-up finish in 2017.[5] His junior association was North Harbour Basketball[6] and he joined the New Zealand Breakers academy at age 14.[7]

In August 2017, Fotu joined the New Zealand Breakers of the Australian National Basketball League (NBL) as a non-contracted development player for the 2017–18 season, maintaining his amateur status for U.S. colleges.[8] He made one appearance for the Breakers during the season.[9]

College career

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Fotu moved to the United States in 2018 to play college basketball for the Saint Mary's Gaels of the West Coast Conference in the NCAA Division I.[10][11]

As a freshman in 2018–19, Fotu appeared in all 34 games and made four starts, averaging 2.8 points in 13.8 minutes per game.[12] He scored a season-high 16 points against Cal on 1 December 2018.[13]

As a sophomore in 2019–20, Fotu was one of three Gaels to play every game during the season and also made 19 starts, averaging 6.4 points and 3.4 rebounds in 20.5 minutes per game.[12] He scored a season-high 17 points against Seattle on 28 December 2019.[14]

As a junior in 2020–21, Fotu started all 24 games and averaged 8.4 points and 5.2 rebounds in 23.7 minutes per game.[12] He scored a season-high 16 points against Loyola Marymount on 21 January 2021.[15]

As a senior in 2021–22, Fotu appeared in all 34 games for the Gaels off the bench, averaging 6.3 points and 3.0 rebounds in 13.9 minutes per game.[12] He scored a career-high 22 points in the Maui Invitational in a win over Notre Dame on 22 November 2021, including the go-ahead three-pointer with less than a minute remaining in the game.[12][16] He was subsequently named to the Maui Invitational all-tournament team and earned West Coast Conference player of the week honours.[12] He recorded seven points and five rebounds in the Gaels' NCAA Tournament win over Indiana.[12][17]

In 126 career games, Fotu averaged 5.8 points and 3.4 rebounds per game.[7] He graduated from Saint Mary's with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree.[18]

Professional career

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In April 2022, Fotu signed with the Auckland Tuatara of the New Zealand National Basketball League (NZNBL).[4] He appeared in three games for the Tuatara during the 2022 season[19] before suffering a major knee injury.[20]

On 15 May 2022, Fotu signed a two-year deal with the New Zealand Breakers, returning to the club for a second stint.[18][21] In 14 games during the 2022–23 NBL season, he averaged 1.1 points in 2.7 minutes per game.[9]

Fotu joined the Franklin Bulls for the 2023 New Zealand NBL season.[22] On 23 June, he scored a career-high 31 points in a 100–89 win over the Wellington Saints.[23] In 18 games, he averaged 17.8 points, 6.7 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.2 steals per game.[19]

With the Breakers in the 2023–24 NBL season, Fotu averaged 2.8 points and 1.5 rebounds in 7.9 minutes across eight games.[9]

Fotu joined the Nelson Giants for the 2024 New Zealand NBL season.[7][24] In 19 games, he averaged 18.6 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.7 steals per game.[19]

On 9 July 2024, Fotu signed with Gifu Swoops of the Japanese B.League third division.[25]

He is set to return to the Auckland Tuatara for the 2025 New Zealand NBL season.[26]

National team career

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Fotu debuted for the New Zealand Junior Tall Blacks in 2015 at the FIBA Under-16 Oceania Championship.[27][28] He continued with the Junior Tall Blacks in 2016 at the FIBA Oceania Under-18 Championship,[27] averaging 7.5 points and 5.0 rebounds in helping the team win the gold medal.[12]

Fotu debuted for the Tall Blacks in 2018 and played alongside his brother Isaac.[29] He played for the Tall Blacks during the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup Asian qualifiers, 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup Asian qualifiers, and 2025 FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers.[27][30]

Personal life

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Fotu is the son of Manu and Jenny, and he has three siblings: older brother Isaac, older sister Ella, and younger brother Jacob.[18] Isaac and Ella have represented the Tall Blacks and Tall Ferns respectively.[30] His father played professional rugby in England.[31]

Fotu holds dual New Zealand-British nationality.[27]

References

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  1. ^ "Daniel Joeli Fotu". fiba.com. Archived from the original on 28 September 2016. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  2. ^ a b "RAISING CHAMPIONS WITH MANU FOTU". YouTube. KiwiHoopers. 25 April 2024. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  3. ^ "Ella Fotu | New Zealand Olympic Team". olympic.org.nz. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  4. ^ a b "Dan Fotu comes home to play for Tuatara". tuatarabasketball.com. 14 April 2022. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  5. ^ "Dan Fotu - Men's Basketball". SMC California Athletics. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  6. ^ "New Zealand Under 19 Men". basketball.org.nz. Archived from the original on 21 August 2016. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  7. ^ a b c Malcolm, Jack (16 December 2023). "Giants secure signature of rising Tall Black". nelsonapp.co.nz. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  8. ^ "Tall Black Raukawa Headlines D-unit". nzbreakers.co.nz. 23 August 2017. Archived from the original on 23 August 2017. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  9. ^ a b c "Daniel Fotu". NBL Official Website. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  10. ^ "Dan Fotu heading to St Marys - Harbour Basketball Association". GameDay. 28 September 2017. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  11. ^ "The Fotu's have something special going on". laceylowdown.com. 29 September 2017. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  12. ^ a b c d e f g h "Dan Fotu - Men's Basketball". SMC California Athletics. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  13. ^ "Dan Fotu 2018-19 Stats per Game - NCAAM". ESPN. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  14. ^ "Dan Fotu 2019-20 Stats per Game - NCAAM". ESPN. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  15. ^ "Dan Fotu 2020-21 Stats per Game - NCAAM". ESPN. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  16. ^ "Saint Mary's 62-59 Notre Dame (Nov 22, 2021) Game Recap". ESPN. 22 November 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  17. ^ "Dan Fotu 2021-22 Stats per Game - NCAAM". ESPN. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  18. ^ a b c Hinton, Marc (15 May 2022). "NZ Breakers unveil latest signing: Daniel Fotu coming home to help the rebuild". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  19. ^ a b c "Daniel Fotu, Basketball Player, News, Stats - asia-basket". Eurobasket LLC. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  20. ^ Hinton, Marc (4 July 2022). "The mysterious case of Kirk Penney's 'possible' NBL fairytale comeback with Tuatara". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  21. ^ "New Zealand Breakers Sign Dan Fotu". NBL Official Website. 15 May 2022. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  22. ^ "Fotu heads south to play for Bulls". bullsbasketball.nz. 14 March 2023. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  23. ^ "Fotu torches Saints as Bulls earn playoff berth". countiessportshub.co.nz. 23 June 2023. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  24. ^ "DAN FOTU SIGNED FOR 2024". facebook.com/nelsongiants. 13 December 2023. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  25. ^ "#42 Daniel Fotu（ダニエル・フォトゥ）選手 契約(新規)合意のお知らせ | 岐阜スゥープス［GIFU SWOOPS］ B.LEAGUE B3". gifu-swoops.com (in Japanese). 9 July 2024. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  26. ^ "Dan Fotu comes back to join Tuatara". tuatarabasketball.com. 20 December 2024. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  27. ^ a b c d "Dan Fotu". www.fiba.basketball. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  28. ^ "2015 U17 Men - FIBA U17 Oceania Championships, Wellington". basketball.org.nz. Archived from the original on 1 December 2015. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  29. ^ Paranihi, Eru (22 February 2018). "History to be made with naming of Fotu". Te Ao Māori News. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  30. ^ a b "Fotu Ready To Make A Name For Himself On Tall Blacks |Basketball New Zealand". nz.basketball. 22 February 2024. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  31. ^ "Isaac Fotu - Men's Basketball". University of Hawai'i at Manoa Athletics. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
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