Oct. 17, 2003

Each Friday Villanova director of media relations Mike Sheridan takes you inside the men's basketball program.

The location is center court at the Pavilion but in many ways the scene could take place on the floor of any retail shopping mall in August.

The young people in the area fidget as adults look on. New apparel, fresh off the rack, is worn tentatively. As the wearers attempt to grow comfortable in the fresh duds, there is much tugging and shifting.

All that's missing are the impatient parents.

Welcome to Villanova Basketball's version of the "Back to School" sales. On the eve of the official start of practice, the Wildcats have gathered in the Pavilion to have the team photograph taken. Smiles abound as the '03-04 edition takes the floor in its new-look road uniforms.

Of course, as with any opening foray down the fashion runaway, there is a glitch or two.

Randy Foye's shorts may need an alteration. Will Sheridan's jersey probably will require a tuck too.

As his teammates attempt to get comfortable in their new duds - which are something of a cross between the 2001-02 version and the 2002-03 model - Chris Charles stands off to the side, handling a basketball.

It's a perfect fit here, thank you.

Indeed, this 'Cat is just happy to be modeling the Villanova game jersey again. During the 2002-03 campaign, Charles donned the uniform understanding that it was mostly for show. Prior to the season, Charles and head coach Jay Wright concluded that a year spent practicing and not playing might be the best plan for Charles' future. After a freshman campaign during which he twice went to the sidelines with an irregular heartbeat, a quiet season of learning made sense.

Now Charles is eager to resume his active career.

"I'm excited," he says shortly after the completion of the photograph, still decked out in his No. 21 uniform. "I put in a lot of hard work last year for my future. It was a lot of time and effort. I'm eager to see what kind of progression I have made."

To say that Charles' road to this point has been full of twists and turns understates the case. As a high school prospect, he saw his prep school (Crispus Attucks Youth Build) drop organized basketball a few months before the start of his senior season. The college coach he originally gave an oral commitment to (Tommy Amaker), exited Seton Hall to take the Michigan position in the spring of Charles' senior year. Then, after re-opening his recruitment and selecting Villanova as the first signee of the Jay Wright era, Charles saw his freshman year ruined by an issue with his heart rate.

"Chris," notes Wright, "has been through a lot."

One of Charles strengths' is his equanimity. Although quiet, the 7-0 Charles exudes a gentle calm that has served him well through the last three years of his life.

Charles' journey at Villanova began with much promise. He was rated in most lists of the top 100 players in the class of 2001 and one service included him among the top center prospects in the nation. Trouble was, the year away from organized basketball in 2000-01 raised the bar on his leap into the college game.

Just as Charles began scraping off some of the rust accumulated during his year away, he felt his heart race during an exhibition game. The diagnosis was an irregular heartbeat and that postponed his college debut until Dec. 11 against Stony Brook, when he scored four points in seven minutes off the bench.

However, the loss of a month's worth of conditioning took its toll. Charles would have flashes of success yet consistency was never attained. His most solid stretch of the campaign came in February when he averaged 14 minutes per game.

The season ended for Charles under the same cloud under which it began. Following a 67-64 victory over Louisiana Tech in the National Invitation Tournament in which he played 11 minutes, the rookie again experienced a problem with his heart rate. When the 'Cats met Temple in the NIT quarterfinals a few nights later, Charles was in a bed at Bryn Mawr Hospital, recovering from a procedure which shocks the heart back into proper rhythm.

Charles was idled for much of the summer of 2002, as physicians attempted to locate the proper medicine to help regulate his heartbeat. By September he was back playing full-court games with his teammates but the prolonged inactivity had done nothing to enhance his skills.

As the 2002-03 season approached, Charles and Wright contemplated the options. Although Charles' medical situation was stable, the treatment regimen (of medicine) was still relatively unproven. No one could be certain how Charles would react to it over the course of a full season.

The topic of a redshirt season was broached. A season on the sidelines would allow Charles to practice on a daily basis. If there were another problem, it could be addressed without costing Charles a year of eligibility.

While the thought of sitting and watching on game night was a tad disconcerting, Charles took the long view.

"It was the best thing for my future," he states.

However, just because he could see the larger picture didn't lessen the pain on game night. While he ran through the Nova Nation each night at the Pavilion, he did so with a measure of certainty that he would be doing exactly what his fellow students standing in that section were: cheering.

"At first it was really tough watching the games," he says. "What helped is that I felt like I was part of the team. I was a big part of practice and I got more into the team during games."

Charles also gained a new perspective on the action.

"I think you can learn some things by watching," he states. "The coaches would come up to me during games, to make a point. You can see things unfold more easily from over there.

"Of course," he adds with a wry smile, "it looks a lot easier over there than it actually is out on the court."

There were moments when Charles thought long and hard about entering the fray. By the time February rolled around, he had three months of practice under his belt and a stable health outlook. With Jason Fraser plagued by bad knees that ultimately helped end his season, Charles was ready to lend a hand.

"Mentally, I was thinking I could help out," he states. "But I had made that commitment to my future and we decided it was best to stick with that."

Charles never entered a game and retains three years of eligibility (he has three games worth of suspension time to serve at the outset of 2003-04 for his role in the telephone access code incident).

So what can Villanova fans to expect to see from Chris Charles, circa 2003? "I think they're going to see a little bit more confident player, a stronger player, someone who has a better understanding of how to play the game," he says.

That grasp on matters was boosted this past summer when Charles attended the annual Pete Newell Big Man Camp, held in Las Vegas. Charles soaked up as much knowledge as he could from a staff of respected teachers.

"It was a great experience for me," Charles says. "I learned a lot about footwork and positioning. There is a lot of subtle movement that can make the difference between a big guy making a play or not making a play."

Now Charles hopes to make that information pay off for him.

"I feel great," Charles says when asked about his health. "I'm taking my meds and haven't had any problems."

As for 2003-04 Charles can't wait. With Fraser still in recovery mode and inexperience near the basket, a strong preseason could give Charles a great chance to make an impact this winter.

"We're a pretty close knit team and I think that helps you on the court," he says. "I think we have a chance to surprise some people."

The school bell is about to ring.

And this time, Charles plans to do more than just watch.