Nov. 25, 2005

The Nova Notebook, by Mike Sheridan, is a feature that appears weekly during the men's basketball regular season. In this edition we spend some time with fifth-year senior Chris Charles.

For Chris Charles, there has always been a fascinating element to history. He has studied some of the leading figures of the civil rights movement during his five years at Villanova and paid close attention during a visit to a World War II concentration camp during a summer basketball tour of Europe in 2004.

Yet when it comes to his own personal history, Charles is convinced the best approach is a selective memory.

Over the course of his time at Villanova, Charles has been plagued by a series of setbacks that have limited his contributions to the Wildcats. The most recent of those came last month, when the 7-0 native of Milwaukee felt pain in his left wrist after workouts that would simply not go away.

"I don't even remember the play when I hurt it," he says.

His best guess is that it came as he attempted to brace himself as he fell to the floor in a pre-season workout in early October. There was no searing pain at first, so Charles kept pushing forward. As a fifth year senior - he received his undergraduate degree last May - the lean pivot was eager to make a contribution and this injury seemed almost minor at first.

Over the course of the next week, however, it became obvious that something was amiss. Practice had officially begun and Charles found himself favoring the left wrist. An examination revealed that he had torn ligaments in the wrist.

"I talked about it with Coach (Jay) Wright," Charles says of the injury. "The doctors said that if I would have kept playing with it, I would probably need cortisone shots to get through the year. If I had the surgery, I would miss a month but would still be back for most of the season. This is my senior year and I want to do everything I can to help this team win. Coach Wright and I both thought surgery was the best option."

Thus, Charles became the first Wildcat to be shut down for an extended period in 2005-06. A few days later, Curtis Sumpter would join him when he re-injured his left knee.

If there was a benefit to this kind of injury, it is that Charles could quickly resume conditioning work. Strength and conditioning coach Jeff Watson worked extensively with Charles to do everything possible to insure that his aerobic capacity did not diminish during the layoff from basketball.

"Wats' had me out on the football field doing 100 yard sprints and all sorts of things to make sure I stayed in shape," stated Charles.

As the calendar turned to November, Charles began working on a side court while his teammates practiced, launching as many shots as he could with his right (shooting) hand.

This week, Charles was cleared to resume full practice sessions and did so on Nov. 21. His left hand is taped but he hopes to be available when the Wildcats host Lehigh on Sunday evening.

"I feel good," says Charles. "I'm kind of surprised because I thought I would be a little out of shape. But all that work I did with (Watson) is paying off."

The wrist is just the latest in a series of interruptions that have hindered Charles over the course of his time on the Main Line. As a freshman, he missed the first seven games of the season due to an irregular heartbeat and then was sidelined by the same trouble in the National Invitation Tournament (medication has subsequently addressed that issue). After spending the 2002-03 campaign as a redshirt, Charles made some significant contributions early in the 2003-04 season before struggling with inconsistency.

Now he is the only active member of the team to have been on the roster for every game of the Jay Wright era. He has witnessed each step of the process and has acquired an appreciation for the gains made.

"I guess I'm kind of an elder statesman now," he says. "The biggest thing to me has been seeing all the things that Coach Wright preached when he got here come to fruition. He said from the beginning that if we played hard, played smart, and played together we could accomplish what we wanted to. Through all the ups and downs, we stuck together and now here we are."

Charles also has had a unique vantage point from which to view the other members of the senior class. When Randy Foye, Jason Fraser, Allan Ray and Curtis Sumpter stepped on campus, Charles already had a year under his belt. He has watched them grow as people and teammates.

"You could always see how talented they were," he says. "Now you can see the maturity they all have. They have become great leaders for this team and they are just so calm in big games."

Although it may not be as obvious to the general public, Charles has blossomed too. Five years ago he was a shy, soft-spoken newcomer unsure of his role. Today, he is a poised individual who interacts easily with his teammates and others in the Villanova community.

On the court, Charles believes he has made strides as well. In each of the last two summers he has toured internationally with a team of college all-stars. He has also worked tirelessly to shave the rough edges off the raw potential that intrigued college coaches during his days at Crispus Attucks Youth Build in York, Pa.

"I would say the biggest thing I've gained is confidence," he states. "I think I'm more in control out on the court and have a better understanding of what Coach wants."

Wright is convinced Charles can offer an important dimension to a team that will rely heavily on four guards 6-4 and under. At 7-0, he possesses a soft shooting touch and has added a measure of muscle to help him during the battles near the basket. It is probable that he will receive some early opportunities to demonstrate he can be a consistent factor off the bench.

"I just want my final year to be able to contribute in any way I can and help my teammates win," Charles states. "Being at Villanova has helped me a lot. I've grown up as a man.

"Hopefully, I'll get a chance to play overseas or in someone's camp next year. Right now, though, my focus is on contributing any way I can."

A new year has dawned and Charles hopes to make his final chapter at Villanova one to remember.