Without one player from the state of Arizona on its entire roster, the men’s basketball team will be spread across the country this summer. Plans to travel to Europe were scrapped, and a three-day trip to Vancouver during Labor Day weekend was substituted. The Wildcats will face the University of Saskatchewan and the University of British Columbia twice as well as the Vancouver All-Stars in a trip more about business then sightseeing. The Wildcats will have practice time before the September trip with their entire 2006-07 squad, which includes three freshman (Chase Budinger, Nic Wise and Jordan Hill) and the possibility of one more, considering Arizona still has one scholarship to offer.
“”It’s going to be a good experience as far as getting the guys together early, practicing together in August and getting the freshmen in the system,”” freshman forward Fendi Onobun said.
Onobun will be working out under the tutelage of former NBA head coach and workout guru John Lucas in his hometown of Houston. Freshman forward Marcus Williams is staying for summer presession, but he’s going back to Seattle to work out during the summer and hopes that Onobun will join him for some of the time. Those plans are still on hold, however.
“”If Fendi wanted to, I open my arms to him to come to Seattle and work out with me and work on his guard skills,”” Williams said.
Junior center Kirk Walters plans to stay in Tucson to work out, while junior forward Ivan Radenovic will try out for the Serbian national team and will likely spend a significant amount of time in Serbia and Montenegro even if he doesn’t make the squad.
Junior point guard Mustafa Shakur, who is currently preparing for the NBA Draft, has not made a decision on whether he will return to Arizona and has a June 18 deadline to withdraw. Shakur is working out in Chicago, and “”his workouts are going well,”” according to assistant coach Josh Pastner.
Sophomore guard Jawann McClellan, who is recovering from knee surgery, is “”expected to be ready for the fall,”” according to Pastner, and will spend both summer sessions working out in Tucson. Freshman point guard J.P. Prince will stay for at least the first summer session, and sophomore forward Bret Brielmaier will do the same. Redshirt freshman forward Mohamed Tangara is expected to be in Tucson for both summer sessions.
Sophomore guard Daniel Dillon will try out for the Australian national team and Budinger will play on the 19-under USA Basketball team going to Paris.
