Mike DeCourcy writes that Budinger is #1 among five high school prospects that are advancing up the rankings. His comments on Budinger:

Budinger led [the Southern Cal All-stars, his AAU team] to the tournament championship and elevated himself from a top 50 player to a strong McDonald's All-American candidate. "He was explosive to the hoop, shot the ball well and battled," [scout Van Coleman of Hoopmasters.com] says. Also an elite volleyball player, Budinger is considering Arizona, UCLA and Southern California.

Speaking of Budinger, Tracy Pierson at BruinReportOnline.com says that U$C is more of a possibility for Budinger than people might realize because Budinger's father is an $C grad (the linked page also has some unrelated comments on Bruin incoming freshman Ryan Wright).