Hawai’i reels in commitment from former Utah State big Isaac Johnson

HONOLULU – The ‘Bows reeled the “Big Fish” in the portal. 

Former Utah State center Isaac Johnson announced his commitment to the University of Hawai’i on Saturday, becoming the second transfer member of the Rainbow Warriors’ 2025 recruiting class. The 7-foot junior spent the past two seasons with the Aggies, appearing in 65 contests (43 starts) and averaging 5.2 points, 2.4 rebounds in 12.4 minutes per game. 

Hawai’i came onto Johnson’s radar after high school teammate Tanner Cuff announced his commitment to the Rainbow Warriors to open the transfer portal period. After connecting with UH assistant coach Gibson Johnson and talking to head coach Eran Ganot, “The Big Fish” was sold on being the next key piece to returning Hawai’i to high-level success. 

“I was really impressed with [the coaching staff’s] vision of how I can help the team for this upcoming year to win,” the former Utah State center said of Hawai’i’s courtship.  

A versatile big man, Johnson was a four-star recruit and ranked as the 53rd-best high school player in ESPN’s Top 100 list in 2019. The talented shooting big man committed to play his college ball for the Oregon Ducks after he finished serving a two-year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Ohio. After his LDS mission, the highly rated center spent one season with the Ducks and saw action in 13 games before transferring to Utah State in 2022.  

After spending a year redshirting with the Aggies, Johnson burst onto the scene in 2023-24 as an impactful stretch five for new head coach Danny Sprinkle. The center played in all 35 games for USU, tying him for the third-most appearances in a single season for any player in Aggies’ history, and proved to be a quality floor spacer as he shot 34.2% from long range. 

He saved his best performances for late that season though, turning in a career-high 19 points and four blocks in the opening round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament. Johnson helped Utah State dispatch TCU and advance into the Round of 32 for the first time in more than two decades. Kevin Harlan referred to Johnson as “a big fish” during the win and consistently referenced a chomping motion celebration that the seven-footer displayed after big plays.  

“I’m excited to see what the game plan is for me and what I can do to help this team win,” said Johnson of his transfer to the islands. “As a teammate, I try to be uplifting and as supportive as I can in all of my teammates’ successes. Whether on or off the court, I want my teammates to succeed.” 

After Sprinkle left USU for the University of Washington job, Johnson saw his minutes dwindle as less of a fit in new head coach Jerrod Calhoun’s scheme. After playing double-digit minutes in 25-out-of-35 games in 2023-24 with Sprinkle, Johnson saw under 10 minutes of action in more than half of his appearances in 2024-25 under Calhoun but stuck in the rotation while appearing in 30 games. 

“Each team I’ve been on has had at least 20 wins and I have learned so much from each one and each staff,” Johnson said. “That [winning pedigree] is something I will try to bring to the team this year.” 

The 7-footer provides a floor-spacing threat from the center position, adding a pick-and-pop option for guards to work with while giving more space to operate in the paint. Johnson still provides the usual benefits of a big man with the ability to go down low to score over defenders on one end while showing off glimpses of solid rim protection. 

Johnson is rated as a three-star transfer and top 20 center in the portal by EvanMiya.com and joins former Evansville guard Tanner Cuff and Rosemary Anderson star Hunter Carter as offseason additions to the Hawai’i roster. The Rainbow Warriors graduated five players and saw sophomore forward Akira Jacobs hit the transfer portal, leaving multiple rotation spots to fill for Eran Ganot and staff during the offseason. 

You can stay up to date on the latest in Hawai’i men’s basketball recruiting news by following Paul Brecht on X/Twitter, @12brecht.