June 15, 2009
Nitoto now a Highlander
Hawaii is a gorgeous place offering sun, sand and sea. But being a Rainbow Warrior athlete encompasses much, much more and ultimately basketballer Kareem Nitoto made the decision to depart the University of Hawaii (UH) for a destination that doesn’t require a five hour plane ride just to return to the mainland.
Nitoto is bringing his defensive brilliance to Riverside
Most of us would jump at a chance for a free vacation to Hawaii and rightly so. But playing as a basketballer for UH is a different situation altogether. For example, if it’s the Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Year’s holidays then that day is just like the preceding one or the 24 hours afterwards because you are in Hawaii without the option of a quick visit home, wherever that may be. If a parent or sibling falls ill, there’s no rushing quickly to his or her side and certainly not without a rather large dent to one’s wallet.
Nitoto, while certainly enjoying his time in the 50th state, found that not being able to play very often in front of family and friends and being a absent role model were not situations he wished to further.
So the 6-foot-2 guard departed from the Rainbow Warrior basketball program and is now a redshirt transfer at UC Riverside of the Big West Conference, a squad that went 17-13 in 2008-2009.
The former San Leandro High star will rejoin former club basketball squad teammate Larry Gurganious in Riverside. The Highlanders are coached by Jim Wooldridge, a longtime D-1 college mentor who also assisted in the National Basketball Association with the Chicago Bulls.
Why Riverside? "I had a lot of different schools interested," Nitoto said. "I narrowed it down to the ones that really showed the most interest and eventually it became Riverside. It’s close to home and my family can see me play a lot more. It’s important to me to be a role model for my younger sibling and part of his life."
He added, " Hawaii was a good place but my family needed me and I wanted to be closer. Being there was a great learning experience and I made some lifelong friendships. I thank them for giving me a chance but ultimately it was more important that my younger brother, cousins, nephew and niece have a positive role model they can see first hand doing positive things."
He is majoring in business management with a minor in fashion marketing. "I’m going to take advantage {of his redshirt season] and get close as I can to graduating, which might be next summer," Nitoto said.
He is coming off a season where he was honored by being named a member of the All-WAC Defensive Team. "I take pride in my defense and hate getting scored on," he stated.
NItoto made 23 starts while averaging 7.1 points per game and totaling 103 assists in his last season at UH. In perusing the Riverside roster, just one backcourter will still have any athletic eligibility remaining once Nitroto completes his redshirt season.
He heads south in July.