In 1980, Leroy Lutu left Hawai'i to pursue collegiate athletics in Washington.

Nearly 30 years later, Leroy Lutu Jr. will be making the return trip.

Lutu will join the University of Hawai'i men's basketball team as a walk-on during the 2008-09 season.

The 6-foot-3, 195-pound guard averaged around 17 points and 7 rebounds per game as a senior at Mercer Island High in Washington last season.

"I have a lot of family in Hawai'i, and my dad grew up there," Lutu said. "But mostly, I like Coach (Bob) Nash and what he's trying to do to turn the program around. I think it's a good fit for me."

Lutu was selected the most valuable player of the KingCo Conference last season, and Mercer Island head coach Ed Pepple said "Hawai'i is getting a steal."

"He's quick and explosive, and he's a tremendous athlete," Pepple said. "He didn't get the notoriety he deserved because he was injured during the summer before his senior year and missed a lot of the summer camps. I think he's good enough to challenge any of the scholarship guys for playing time."

Lutu turned down scholarship offers from Montana, Portland State and UC Davis. He was also considering attending the Naval Academy.

"I didn't have too many (Division I) scholarship offers, so walking on with a program like Hawai'i seemed like a good idea," Lutu said. "Eventually, one of my goals would be to get (a scholarship). I just want to get better each year, and if Coach Nash gets me a scholarship down the line, I'd be honored."

Lutu was a shooting guard during his senior season, but also played point guard during his high school career.

"I really like the transition game, but I also played for a coach who was notorious for his half-court offense, so I feel like I'm prepared for anything," he said. "I need to work on my 3-point shooting a little bit, and I'm doing that every day."

Lutu was an all-league defensive back in football as a sophomore and junior, but concentrated only on basketball during his senior season.

"That tells you what kind of athlete he is," Pepple said. "He could play football and basketball if he wanted to."

Leroy Lutu Sr. is considered one of Hawai'i's all-time great prep athletes. He was a standout in both football and basketball while attending University High from 1977-80.

He was heavily recruited in both sports by several colleges — including UH — and eventually played football at the University of Washington.

He has lived in the Seattle area ever since, and now owns a real estate appraisal company.

"It's funny because when Leroy told me he was thinking about the University of Hawai'i, I was wondering if there would be any repercussions," Lutu Sr. said. "But Coach Nash was just a classy guy, and he really welcomed us."

Lutu said he often looks through old newspaper clippings of his father's high school and college accomplishments.

"He has a bunch of scrapbooks and I spend days looking through them sometimes," Lutu said. "It's an honor to read about him and see how much influence he had on me."

The elder Lutu said it may have been beneficial for his son to grow up on an island that was not a part of the Hawaiian chain.

"He got to fly under the radar a little bit," he said. "That probably helped him to do his own thing."

Lutu said: "I went to Hawai'i when I was a sophomore, and so many people asked me about my dad. They all said he was a legend. But I feel like I have my own legacy at Mercer Island."

In any case, Lutu should be well-taken care of while in Hawai'i. He has several relatives on O'ahu, including an influential one — Mufi Hannemann. The Honolulu mayor is a cousin of Lutu Sr.

"If he ever needs a home-cooked meal, he's got a lot of choices," Lutu Sr. said.

EX-UH STANDOUT NASH TO PLAY IN JAPAN LEAGUE

Former University of Hawai'i player Bobby Nash has signed a contract with the Shiga Lakestars of the Basketball Japan League, the school announced yesterday.

"I'm really looking forward to the opportunity," said Nash, who will spend the summer in Japan participating in camps before the regular season opens in October. "Being American, they'll hold me to a higher standard and I'll be ready to take on that challenge."

The Japan league is entering its fourth season and is composed of 12 teams divided into two conferences.

Nash will be one of three Americans on the Lakestars. The others are Ray Schafer of Oregon and Brayden Billbe of American University.

Nash, the son of UH coach Bob Nash, averaged 13.7 points per game and led the Rainbow Warriors in 3-pointers (59) this past season. He also became the 14th UH player to score 1,000 career points.