Conrad Fitzgerald could become one of the greatest walk-on players in the history of the University of Hawai'i men's basketball program.

It's not a goal he was expecting to chase, but one he has accepted.

Fitzgerald, a 6-foot-5 redshirt freshman with the Rainbow Warriors, has emerged as a contender for serious playing time this season. He can play both the shooting guard and small forward positions, and has emerged as one of the strongest players on the team after a summer of weightlifting.

Still, he is without a scholarship.

The UH basketball program lost two scholarships in May as a result of a penalty stemming from a subpar performance in the Academic Progress Rate.

Fitzgerald, who signed with UH as a scholarship player in 2007, was asked to relinquish his scholarship for the 2008-09 season.

"At first, it was hard for me to take because I didn't understand the situation," Fitzgerald said. "But I realize now it had to be done for the program and it made us better as a team."

In effect, Fitzgerald lost his scholarship because previous players in the UH program either transferred or left the school without graduating. It had nothing to do with Fitzgerald's academic progress.

Fitzgerald said his grandparents, Lee and Maureen Young, agreed to pay for his tuition, books and housing for this year.

"I owe a lot to my grandparents," he said. "They're paying for everything so I don't have to work. I can just concentrate on school and basketball."

Through the first week of practices, Fitzgerald has displayed an ability to knock down 3-pointers — even with an unorthodox side-spin to his shot — and finish fastbreaks with rim-rattling dunks.

"Physically, he's one of the strongest and fastest guys on the team," Hawai'i head coach Bob Nash said. "The things that are keeping him from being the player that he can be are the non-physical things. He needs to have a better approach to the game — act like a professional all of the time, and not just some of the time."

Fitzgerald joined the 'Bows last year after two years at Pendleton School, which is like a preparatory program for aspiring athletes in Florida.

Although he was a redshirt, Fitzgerald traveled with the 'Bows, and practiced as a member of the scout team.

UH assistant coach Eran Ganot, who was in charge of the scout team, said Fitzgerald has "made strides" from last season.

"One thing he's always been able to do is score," Ganot said. "When we needed a gunner on the scout team, he was our guy. But in order to keep making strides, he needs a better understanding of the team concept and embrace his role no matter what it is."

Fitzgerald said the most important aspect of his redshirt year was in academics.

"The first summer I got here, I didn't do so hot in my classes," he said. "I actually wasn't sure if I was ready to handle the college level academically. So that redshirt year was a big help. I knew I wasn't going to play (in games), so I didn't have to worry about that part. I just had to focus on my school work."

After his redshirt year, Fitzgerald opted to stay in Hawai'i for the entire summer, again thanks to his grandparents.

The Youngs, who are his maternal grandparents, live in Makaha, so Fitzgerald stayed with them during the summer. He would drive to Manoa every day to lift weights and shoot baskets.

The proof was on display when the 'Bows had to complete strength and conditioning tests prior to the start of practices this month. Fitzgerald led the team with 21 bench-press repetitions of 185 pounds, and tied for the team lead with a maximum bench-press of 260.

"I've been in weight (lifting) programs before, but I wasn't as engaged in it as I am now," he said. "It's helped me a lot so far. I definitely feel stronger than last year."

Scholarship or not, Fitzgerald is fulfilling a longtime dream by merely putting on a Hawai'i uniform.

He and his two sisters would often spend several weeks each summer with their grandparents in Makaha. Lee Young would often drive Fitzgerald to UH-Manoa to shoot baskets and seek advice from then-assistant coach Bob Nash.

"I met Coach Nash a long time ago," Fitzgerald said. "I remember watching him work with the younger kids at a summer camp in the Stan Sheriff Center. I was sitting in the stands, and I remember telling my grandpa I wanted to play in here some day."

Nash said he kept tabs on Fitzgerald through the years.

"When I first met him, he had good size for his age group, and he was athletic," Nash said. "When the time came to recruit guys, we decided to pull the trigger on him."

In recent practices, Fitzgerald has been serving as a second-team shooting guard.

"I feel like I can contribute as much as anybody else," he said. "So I just want to play my role, what ever it is."

Nash said the best part about Fitzgerald is that he still has four seasons of eligibility.

"He's made a lot of progress from last year to this year, and the thing to keep in mind is he's a freshman," Nash said. "If he can continue to make progress, he's really going to help this team."

However, Nash added that there is no guarantee that Fitzgerald will be re-awarded his athletic scholarship in future years.

"It's a possibility, and we'll leave it at that," Nash said. "When we lost those scholarships, I talked to Conrad and his family and asked him how much he wanted to be here. This is his chance to prove it."