Bogut takes time out to make return visit to Utah

He may be 20 pounds bigger and more muscular than ever, but otherwise Andrew Bogut hasn't changed a whole lot since we last saw him.

Bogut, the consensus national college basketball player of the year, was back in Utah Friday to pick up a few belongings, shoot a promotional video for the Ute athletic department and to say goodbye to some friends.

Wearing a Nike T-shirt (he just signed a big contract with the company), the 7-foot Australian was candid and funny, displaying the usual laid-back Aussie style while answering questions for a half-hour at the Huntsman Center.

He's leaving Sunday for Milwaukee, where he'll work out for Milwaukee Bucks, who hold the No. 1 draft pick in the upcoming NBA draft.

Then in the middle of the week he'll fly down to Atlanta to work out for the Atlanta Hawks, who own the No. 2 pick. Bogut is almost certain to be one of the first two picks for the June 28 NBA Draft.

Although he was very diplomatic when asked about preferences between Milwaukee and Atlanta, saying, "each situation is exciting for me," Bogut couldn't hide the fact that Milwaukee was his first choice.

"Milwaukee is a great city," he said. "They have lots of Croatian people there, especially being close to Chicago. On paper, they're the best team (of the top lottery teams). Michael Redd is a perennial all-star. If they re-sign him and I could get drafted by them, we'd have a great team and have a chance to push to the playoffs. "

But Bogut also had nice things to say about the Hawks.

"Atlanta is a great up-and-coming team," he said. "They have showed so much interest in me. They haven't listened to the rumors and I respect them for that. They haven't changed their mind."

Since declaring for the draft in late March, Bogut has been working out in Washington, D.C., with former Jazz player John Duren for three to four hours a day. He said Duren is an individual big-man coach who has worked with other NBA centers such as Patrick Ewing, Alonzo Mourning and Dikembe Mutombo and has helped him get ready for his upcoming workouts.

The media was requested in advance not to ask Bogut any questions about the recent controversy involving his former coach Rick Majerus, who reportedly claimed Bogut had a degenerative eye disease. Bogut was apparently tired of answering questions about it for the past week and was sensitive to the fact that Majerus coached at Utah for 15 years.