Charlie Villanueva descended the north end zone stairs of Allen Fieldhouse, his eyes scanning Kansas University’s basketball palace from top to bottom.
“It feels good being here. I like this place,” said Villanueva, a 6-foot-9, 215-pound high school senior from Blair Academy in Blairstown, N.J., who late Wednesday afternoon arrived for his two-day official recruiting trip to KU.
“Kansas has great tradition. A lot of great players have come out from this school, so it feels pretty good being in this type of atmosphere,” Villanueva said.
Villanueva — he was greeted with “Welcome Home Charlie” signs in various locations of the fieldhouse — reacquainted himself with new KU coach Bill Self, coach at the University of Illinois when Villanueva verbally committed to U of I last November.
Villanueva never signed a letter of intent with Illinois, partly because he wanted to make sure Self remained the Illini coach and because he has a desire to enter the NBA draft if he’s a guaranteed first-round pick.
“One thing about coach (Self) … I committed to Illinois because of coach,” Villanueva said. “We’ve established a good relationship.”
Villanueva met some of the KU players early Wednesday evening at the fieldhouse and joined some of them for dinner at a local steakhouse.
“I’m ready to eat, man,” said Villanueva, who after a good night’s sleep and day on campus figures to be well-rested for a 5 p.m. pickup game today at the fieldhouse with members of KU’s current team.
“I look forward to playing against these guys. These guys are pretty good,” Villanueva said. “I just want to see how I match up.”
Who does he want to see play the most?
“Collison, of course. I mean, he’s a pro,” Villanueva said of KU senior and future first-round NBA pick Nick Collison. “I just want to see where I stand as far as playing with him.”
Villanueva should decide this weekend whether to attend college or head directly to the NBA.
“This weekend I should be able to make my decision as far as the NBA or college,” said Villanueva, a native of Brooklyn, N.Y. “Which route I decide to take … the decision will be made soon.”
He said he would return to school Friday, then possibly head to Storrs, Conn., for an unofficial visit to UConn Saturday.
Long Island Panthers AAU coach Gary Charles, a close friend of Villanueva, told the Chicago Sun Times that Villanueva was down to KU, UConn, UCLA and North Carolina, plus the NBA option.
“Illinois is out,” Charles said. “No matter what schools say, a player chooses that school for the coaching staff, not the school. Illinois’ coaching staff is gone.”
Villanueva has until Monday to declare for the NBA draft, set for June 25 in New York. If he does not sign with an agent, he would have until June 19 to withdraw from the draft to keep his college eligibility. Even if he withdrew by the 19th, however, a team still could select Villanueva and hold his contractual rights until one year after his college eligibility expired.
Villanueva has called the NBA the “promised land,” but does not want to enter the draft unless he’s assured first-round status. He’s currently considered a late first-round to middle-second round possibility.
Cairns said Simien should be able to start shooting the basketball in June and return to pickup basketball in September.
“We’ve been limiting the amount of stress, the amount of tension he’s been able to place on the shoulder. We don’t want the repair to stretch out too early,” said Cairns, who said Simien may be cleared today for more aggressive rehab.
“We might be at that stage we’ll be able to increase that range gradually over the next month,” Cairns said. “He’s right on schedule.”
Jerseys of KU’s Iowans — Kirk Hinrich and Nick Collison — have been auctioned at each barnstorming site. Collison’s jersey went for $1,150 in Hillsboro; Hinrich’s $1,000 in Eureka.
Charlie Villanueva descended the north end zone stairs of Allen Fieldhouse, his eyes scanning Kansas University’s basketball palace from top to bottom.
“It feels good being here. I like this place,” said Villanueva, a 6-foot-9, 215-pound high school senior from Blair Academy in Blairstown, N.J., who late Wednesday afternoon arrived for his two-day official recruiting trip to KU.
“Kansas has great tradition. A lot of great players have come out from this school, so it feels pretty good being in this type of atmosphere,” Villanueva said.
Villanueva — he was greeted with “Welcome Home Charlie” signs in various locations of the fieldhouse — reacquainted himself with new KU coach Bill Self, coach at the University of Illinois when Villanueva verbally committed to U of I last November.
Villanueva never signed a letter of intent with Illinois, partly because he wanted to make sure Self remained the Illini coach and because he has a desire to enter the NBA draft if he’s a guaranteed first-round pick.
“One thing about coach (Self) … I committed to Illinois because of coach,” Villanueva said. “We’ve established a good relationship.”
Villanueva met some of the KU players early Wednesday evening at the fieldhouse and joined some of them for dinner at a local steakhouse.
“I’m ready to eat, man,” said Villanueva, who after a good night’s sleep and day on campus figures to be well-rested for a 5 p.m. pickup game today at the fieldhouse with members of KU’s current team.
“I look forward to playing against these guys. These guys are pretty good,” Villanueva said. “I just want to see how I match up.”
Who does he want to see play the most?
“Collison, of course. I mean, he’s a pro,” Villanueva said of KU senior and future first-round NBA pick Nick Collison. “I just want to see where I stand as far as playing with him.”
Villanueva should decide this weekend whether to attend college or head directly to the NBA.
“This weekend I should be able to make my decision as far as the NBA or college,” said Villanueva, a native of Brooklyn, N.Y. “Which route I decide to take … the decision will be made soon.”
He said he would return to school Friday, then possibly head to Storrs, Conn., for an unofficial visit to UConn Saturday.
Long Island Panthers AAU coach Gary Charles, a close friend of Villanueva, told the Chicago Sun Times that Villanueva was down to KU, UConn, UCLA and North Carolina, plus the NBA option.
“Illinois is out,” Charles said. “No matter what schools say, a player chooses that school for the coaching staff, not the school. Illinois’ coaching staff is gone.”
Villanueva has until Monday to declare for the NBA draft, set for June 25 in New York. If he does not sign with an agent, he would have until June 19 to withdraw from the draft to keep his college eligibility. Even if he withdrew by the 19th, however, a team still could select Villanueva and hold his contractual rights until one year after his college eligibility expired.
Villanueva has called the NBA the “promised land,” but does not want to enter the draft unless he’s assured first-round status. He’s currently considered a late first-round to middle-second round possibility.
Cairns said Simien should be able to start shooting the basketball in June and return to pickup basketball in September.
“We’ve been limiting the amount of stress, the amount of tension he’s been able to place on the shoulder. We don’t want the repair to stretch out too early,” said Cairns, who said Simien may be cleared today for more aggressive rehab.
“We might be at that stage we’ll be able to increase that range gradually over the next month,” Cairns said. “He’s right on schedule.”
Jerseys of KU’s Iowans — Kirk Hinrich and Nick Collison — have been auctioned at each barnstorming site. Collison’s jersey went for $1,150 in Hillsboro; Hinrich’s $1,000 in Eureka.
