Connecticut versus Pittsburgh. It has become the most highly anticipated Big East basketball game of the season, and this year was no different. With both teams ranked in the top ten, Tuesday night's match-up at Gampel Pavilion was the hottest ticket in the conference. Just ask former Connecticut forward Charlie Villanueva, who could be spotted with his brothers sitting behind the UConn bench cheering on his former team.

Villanueva - now a forward with the Toronto Raptors - planned on attending the game well in advance, anticipating another great match-up.

"We play tomorrow in Washington," said Villanueva after the game. "So I have to catch a 5 am flight, but I couldn't miss this game...you can't miss it, you know it's going to be a war and guys are going to battle."

Although it wasn't an easy game for him to get to, as he expected, it was well worth the effort. Villanueva watched as his Huskies edged out the Panthers 80-76 in a thriller before an electric Gampel Pavilion crowd. The versatile forward has played many roles for the Huskies, but the role of a fan cheering on his former team was a unique experience.

"It feels good to be back. It's definitely strange, going to will call and picking up tickets," said Villanueva. "It's a different perspective, but to sit in that crowd I felt like I was part of the game. It was a great win."

Proudly decked out in UConn gear - including a 2004 national champions jacket - Villanueva freely admitted that he's been bragging throughout the NBA that his Huskies are the best team in college basketball. He also joked that he calls his former teammates to stay on top of them and make sure they do their part to help him uphold his bragging rights.

"I talk to the guys and I tell them to keep working hard because I'm watching them from Toronto," says Villanueva. "I've been talking too, talking a lot of smack! I really have been talking a lot of trash (around the league) and I'm enjoying it."

That's not the only thing Villanueva is enjoying right now. Life has been good for the 6-foot-11 combo forward since being drafted seventh by the Toronto Raptors in June of 2005. But things in Toronto didn't start out so smooth for the former Huskies star.

Many of the Toronto fans, as well as basketball experts, groaned when the Raptors selected Villanueva with their 2005 lottery pick. Not only did they question why Toronto would draft yet another combo forward, they also questioned Villanueva's basketball abilities. But Villanueva quickly changed the minds of his detractors with his play on the court, an accomplishment that brings him great pleasure.

"It feels really good," he said with a smile. "But I've always believed in myself and I knew I was going to do well."

Villanueva fits the mold of what is becoming the new breed of NBA player. He's tall, athletic and versatile. He's a 6-foot-11 presence in the paint, but he can also get out and play the wing. He's a combo forward who doesn't have a true position, but he can do some of everything. Although Villanueva says he is still searching for his identity, being a multi-purpose forward has worked out well for the New York native thus far.

"I fit in pretty well," he says. "Right now we're trying to establish 'what am I?' Am I going to play the small forward or the power forward? I'm a tweener playing the three and the four, but I think my biggest strength has always been my offensive game and my versatility. I can create mismatches at either spot, so a lot depends on the match-up."

After taking the 5 am red eye flight from Connecticut to Washington following the Huskies Tuesday evening victory over Pittsburgh, he scored 18 points on 7-for-12 shooting (4-of-6 three-pointers), grabbed nine rebounds, and blocked four shots in the Raptors 117-112 victory over the Wizards.

Villanueva, averaging 12 points and 5.2 rebounds in 24.5 minutes per game, was named the NBA Eastern Conference Rookie of The Month in December. He began the month on fire scoring 22 points on 10-for-15 shooting while grabbing 10 rebounds in 102-101 victory over the Hawks. He also hit the game winning shot, converting a layup on a pick and roll with three seconds left on the game clock. Although it was a cold December in Toronto, Villanueva never cooled off scoring in double figures in 10 of 13 games. He finished out the month with a game high 25 points on 12-for-17 shooting while grabbing 10 rebounds in a 99-97 victory over the Pacers.

He credits the UConn program with helping to prepare him for the success he has had in the NBA.

"Playing for coach Calhoun - a Hall of Fame coach - nothing is easy, nothing is given to you." says Villanueva. "You've got to earn everything. I'm really glad I came to UConn, it definitely prepared me for the NBA."

Villanueva is enjoying his life in the NBA and in Toronto to the fullest and says he's thankful for the success he's having.

"I'm definitely happy," says Villanueva with a smile. "I've got a great situation here. I'm loving it."

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