Think of all the above-the-rim players to come through the University of Hawai'i men's basketball program.

Anthony Carter, Erin Galloway, Jason Carter and Geremy Robinson are some that come to mind.

Now put Kareem Nitoto above them all.

Nitoto, a 6-foot-3 sophomore point guard, recently set a UH basketball record with a vertical jump of 45 inches. Galloway set the previous mark of 44 inches in 1998.

"It's definitely something I take pride in," Nitoto said. "I saw that (record) number and thought I could get it last year. This year, I worked hard for it and I knew I had it."

Nitoto's record leap was the highlight of the strength and conditioning tests that the Rainbow Warriors had to complete before the start of practices last Friday.

"It's a good measurement to see where the guys are in terms of their level of conditioning," Hawai'i head coach Bob Nash said. "We expected our guys to work hard in the summer because we needed them ready physically before the season starts. These days, if you're not in shape once the season starts, it's too late."

The summer workouts and subsequent strength and conditioning tests were completed under the guidance of strength coach Steve Englehart.

"As a team, they all worked hard," Englehart said. "There's a lot of young guys on this team, so they ended up doing a lot better than I expected. There are some really good athletes on this team."

Nitoto led the way. In addition to being the best jumper, he is also the strongest pound-for-pound player on the roster.

Nitoto weighs 185 pounds, and was able to bench-press 260 — tied for top honors on the team. He also completed 40 pull-ups, which was 10 more than any other player on the ream.

"I want to be in top physical shape," he said. "I want to be the strongest player on the court. I don't care how big I am and how big you are, I'm still going to work hard to be stronger."

But being the best player in the weight room does not create a free pass into the starting lineup. Nitoto and fellow sophomore Hiram Thompson are currently battling for the starting point guard position.

"Kareem is a tremendous athlete and those (tests) show what his physical skills are, but we still have to look at how he can use those skills to run a basketball team," Nash said.

Nitoto said his increased strength and jumping ability have made him a more confident player than last season, when he was a back-up as a true freshman.

"I feel like if I need to get a ball, I can go up and get it against anybody," he said. "If I need to box out somebody, or stop a guy defensively, I feel like I'm strong enough to do that."

Newcomer Petras Balocka thought he established a record with a power-clean lift of 258 1/2 pounds. As it turns out, Phil Martin's record of 265 set in 2003 was not posted on the record board.

"I guess I have to beat that the next time, then," Balocka said. "I thought (258) was the record, so I stopped at that. I think I could have done more."

Prized recruit Roderick Flemings had a maximum bench-press of 260 pounds and did 18 repetitions of 185 pounds.

"Honestly, I was kind of a slacker in the weight room before I got here," he said. "Now I know how much it helps with your rebounding and balance, and just being strong with the ball."

Flemings did not participate in the jumping tests because of a sprained right ankle. He said he would like to challenge Nitoto's vertical record next year.

"The last time I did my vertical, it was 43 (inches), and that was two years ago," he said. "Kareem got it, but I want to break it."

Nash said the team will continue to train with Englehart in the weight room at least three times a week throughout the season.

"I think it's vitally important to have that type of conditioning to go along with the basketball conditioning," Nash said.