Prep All-American Charlie Villanueva is considering becoming a
Bruin next year, according to various published reports.
Villanueva, who originally had verbally committed to Illinois,
reneged on that decision last month when then-Fighting Illini coach
Bill Self left for Kansas. Villanueva has since ruled out Illinois,
and is currently considering attending Kansas, North Carolina, and
Connecticut in addition to UCLA.
While sources within the UCLA athletic department would neither
confirm nor deny the school’s interest, the top-10 senior
forward is certainly familiar with the UCLA coaching staff. Howland
and assistant coach Ernie Ziegler recruited Villanueva at
Pittsburgh last year, and Howland met with him in person in New
Jersey in late-April.
Villanueva is still looking at a number of schools, and may
still declare himself eligible for the NBA draft. If he chooses to
attend college, Villanueva must decide by the May 12 draft
deadline.
“I know that he hasn’t made up his mind,” Tom
Parauda, Villanueva’s assistant basketball coach at Blair
Academy, told the Lawrence Journal-World. “I know he talks
openly about his options.”
The 6-foot-9, 215-pound Villanueva would fill the scholarship
vacated when Andre Patterson was dismissed from the school last
month, and would join fellow-forwards Sean Phaler and Trevor Ariza
as freshmen next year.
With the loss of Patterson and forward Jason Kapono, UCLA would
be very thin at the forward spot next year without Villanueva. If
he decides to come to Westwood he would likely play significant
minutes immediately.
With reports from U-Wire.