Chase Budinger had everything a coach would want in a basketball
player.
Understanding of the fundamentals, a fantastic shooting touch,
an intrinsic knowledge of the game.
And being 6 feet 7 inches, with a 43-inch vertical leap, makes
it reasonable why both UCLA and Arizona were gasping at the thought
of getting the services of the forward from La Costa Canyon High
School in San Diego.
Because Budinger eventually signed with the Wildcats, Bruin fans
will have their first glimpse of the freshman standout Saturday
when the No. 11 Arizona Wildcats come to Pauley.
“Growing up in Southern California, it would be hard not
to be aware of UCLA in both basketball and volleyball,”
Budinger said. “It will be a very exciting experience for
me.”
He was a standout player in volleyball and basketball in high
school, winning the 2006 CIF Southern Section player of the year
for both sports. Going into his junior season, he narrowed his
college choices to Arizona, USC and UCLA.
The real question for Budinger at the time was whether he would
give up volleyball, a sport he had played his entire life, when he
entered college.
Budinger, after all, was named the 2006 Mizuno national
volleyball player of the year by Volleyball Magazine.
“Being able to play both sports was in my mind for a
while,” he said. “But once I decided to focus on
basketball, the choice to go to Arizona was easier.”
The Wildcats were the first Pac-10 team to recruit Budinger, and
despite UCLA and USC also offering volleyball, he knew he could
focus on basketball in college and play volleyball later.
“If he had played volleyball, he could have been (a)
special (player),” UCLA men’s volleyball coach Al
Scates said. “But his primary interest was playing
basketball.
“I tried to convince him that he could be the next Danny
Farmar (UCLA football and volleyball standout).”
UCLA, over the years, has had a tradition of multi-star
athletes, the most prominent being Jackie Robinson.
The most famous ever to play volleyball and basketball for the
Bruins was Keith Erickson, who won both a basketball national
championship under former coach John Wooden and a title under
Scates playing volleyball during his time at UCLA.
“Volleyball wasn’t really a factor. All along,
(Budinger’s) goal was to be an NBA player,” UCLA
men’s basketball coach Ben Howland told the Los Angeles
Times. “Whatever he wanted to do, he’s a great
player.”
Focusing solely on basketball, Budinger has been able to thrive
in his first year with the Wildcats.
The freshman scored 32 points in his second career game and is
currently third for the Wildcats in scoring with 15.6 points per
game.
Still, Budinger, who has struggled slightly in the Pac-10, knows
there is room for improvement.
“I’m working hard on the areas of my game that need
to improve,” he said. “I knew that this year was going
to be a lot of hard work, but it’s been a good experience so
far.”
On the road against the No. 3 Bruins in a sold-out Pauley
Pavilion on Saturday, Budinger will see if his hard work has paid
off.