Chase is on for Budinger

The scouting report is out there. Don't play Chase Budinger man-to-man. A couple of teams in Southern California did and the 6-foot-5, 180-pound wing from La Costa Canyon High School in Carlsbad, Calif., made them pay with two big time outings. A top Pac-10 head coach just so happened to be on hand for both of the games, too.

The four-star prospect has torn opponents up of late and at the right time, too. He lit up nationally-ranked Mater Dei for 51 points. Two games after, he poured in 43 points against Rancho Bernardo. Someone for forgot to read the scouting report.

"When teams played me man to man, I just tore them up," Budinger said. "(The scouting report) has been out there but I guess they didn't want to run a box and one and triangle and twos that everyone else is playing me."

Regardless of the defense, Budinger has become a major target for a number of programs. Arizona's Lute Olsen was in the crowd for the two games where the red head lit up the floor. The Wildcats have offered a scholarship as has UCLA, USC, Utah and "most of the Pac-10" as Budinger puts it.

He also said Kansas and Kentucky will likely tender a free ride some time after the high school season and before the AAU season in April. Budinger, the No. 33 ranked player in the country, says he's still not ready to make any kind of decision on his future.

Duke, Kansas and Utah was at the Mater Dei game, too. The Blue Devils stayed a game over after watching Jamal Boykin, a Duke signee, play the game before.

"Right now, I'm widely open at this moment. I'm just playing our season and focusing on our team here," Budinger said. "I'll start looking closer in a month or two but like I said, I'm open right now."

As he continues to torch southern California man defenses apart, Budinger said he knows he does want to stay closer to home.

"I want to at least stay on the West Coast," Budinger said. "I want to play for a team that runs and guns at the next level. That's my kind of play."

Budinger is averaging 28 points and 14 rebounds for La Costa Canyon (16-5).