Chase Budinger, the California Athlete of the Year and a McDonald’s All-American, will be the Wildcat’s guest of honor for his first week at Arizona, giving inside perspective to the freshman start of school.

-as told to Roman Veytsman

Every day I have a class at 8 (a.m.), so I have to wake up at 7 o’clock. It kind of sucks but starting pretty soon, we’re going to start waking up at 6 for lifting. It’s good though because I’ll already be up and I’ll be done with all my classes at 10. I have English Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Tuesday and Thursday I have MIS (at 8 am). The class is good, but we’ve just gone over the syllabus so I can’t really say much yet. The (classes) are going to be tougher (than high school). It’s gonna take more time out of my schedule and I’m gonna have to study more to get my work done. We have a pretty packed schedule as it is with lifting and practice and watching film so it’s gonna be pretty tough. I have two classes every day and Monday I have three. I’m taking 16 units. After MIS, I had a class called Peak Performance. It’s class for only athletes. You go over time management, getting ready, showing you how to prepare yourself for school, all the stress that you’re going to be under and trying to stay healthy, ready, and being in top shape for your sport. It pretty much tries to get you ready for everything.

(On getting recognized on campus:) There’s been a couple of guys who knew who I was, yelling my name and stuff. It’s fine, it’s kind of cool. I was walking by the hookah bar on University (Boulevard) and those guys wanted me to do hookah with them.

I was dead tired today, so after class I went and got something to eat in Panda (Express). I like Panda, but there’s not very much choice at the Union. Right after that I just went back to my dorm and passed out for two years. I woke up and I had to go to the gym with Miles (Simon). I watched (Monday’s) practice because I was having some trouble with something and I wanted to go in there and watch myself so I can help myself correct that. I didn’t watch very much film in high school, so it was kind of a new thing for me.

Lute (Olson) was at practice today. He didn’t have much to say to me personally, just some corrections.

I’m going to wear No. 34 this year. It’s always been my high school number, just carry it on from high school because I had a good high school career.

In high school – it’s a funny story – when I first came in I only had three jerseys to choose from. It was No. 5 and that was a point guard’s (jersey) and that was too short for me and there was No. 55 and that jersey was for a big guy. The guy who had it was 6-foot-8, 350 (pounds) so it was way too big for me. Thirty-four was there for me. It was also my brother’s (Duncan Jr.) number from high school.

After practice we had the training table, and I had a good meal: Chicken strips, caesar salad and chicken ravioli. It was good food, I was very happy with that.

I went back to my dorm and chilled. I have a lot of movies, “”Hitch,”” “”Underworld,”” “”Bad Boys 2,”” “”Gladiator.””

Last movie I saw was “”Billy Madison.”” It’s a classic.