Blair's Villanueva picks UConn over NBA Draft

The Star Ledger
6/20/03

Blair Academy's Charlie Villanueva notified the NBA yesterday that he was withdrawing his name from next week's draft and will instead enroll at the University of Connecticut.

"I just feel I would be better prepared for the NBA if I went to college," Villanueva said. "I'm relieved, but I was enjoying the whole process. Now I know what direction I'm headed in."

The 6-10 forward worked out for the NBA champion San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday and the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday before returning to New Jersey and working out for the Nets yesterday.

"They didn't give me a guarantee," said Villanueva about what teams told him about his potential as a first-round pick. He had said that he would have remained in the draft if he knew he would be a first-round choice and receive a guaranteed contract.

"It was pretty much a risk," said Villanueva, who was an All-America selection by USA Today and McDonald's.

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