By Nov. 20, high school athlete Chris Burgess will declare which of the many universities coveting his considerable basketball talent he will attend.

A priest in the Irvine 4th Ward, Irvine California Stake, Chris is considered one of the best high school athletes in the country. He was permitted, under NCAA rules, to visit up to five campuses as a basketball recruit. From his almost limitless options, he chose to visit collegiate basketball heavyweights Duke and Kentucky, and, of course, his Church's own flagship - BYU. (He decided against traveling to another choice - top-ranked Kansas - and said he made informal trips to nearby UCLA.) NCAA rules permit him to sign a letter-of-intent with one of the schools by Nov. 20. If he doesn't decide by then, he has to wait until after the basketball season to sign. He probably won't delay. "I want to get signing out of the way early so I can concentrate on basketball," he said during a Church News telephone interview.To reach the point where he is one of the most sought-after recruits in the nation and projected to be successful in the professional ranks, Chris has relied on commitment, dedication and goal setting.

All the while, he said, he has remembered the proper order of his priorities - family, Church, basketball.

He has demonstrated his commitment to the Church by attending seminary each school morning at 6:45 and expects to be a four-year seminary graduate. While visiting Kentucky and Duke, he made it a special point to check out the LDS institute on campus. If he chooses to go somewhere besides BYU, he still wants to have access to a good Church environment, he said.

While basketball seems to be his ticket to an education, and probably a career, it hasn't always been his favorite sport, according to his father, Ken Burgess. "He really preferred baseball and soccer," Brother Burgess said of his second son. "I would take him and his sister and brother to the gym to play basketball and he would just walk away. He said he hated it."

Brother Burgess said Chris's attitude started to change when he was in the fourth grade. He joined a club team and, although he was taller and faster than everyone else on the team, he missed every shot he took.

"But he is a real determined kid," Brother Burgess continued, "and spent the next week shooting baskets. In the next game, he scored every one of his team's points."

That determination stuck, and by the time he got to high school he gave up baseball (he's a very good pitcher, according to his dad) to concentrate on basketball.

He was tall and quick, and was determined to improve on other skills. For example, Brother Burgess said Chris's vertical jump was only 20 inches when he was a freshman, but has improved to 33 inches now.

He also "lived" in the weight room for six months to build up 245 pounds on his 6-foot-11-inch frame.

He has further sharpened his skills by working with private coaches, spending hours in the gym alone, and competing with some talented players, including pros, in pick-up games at UCLA, according to his dad.

His life is not quite totally consumed by basketball. He likes to spend time with his friends (most are teammates) and also is a "great pianist," his dad said.

Chris hasn't felt cheated by having to spend so much of his time trying to improve his game. He saw many of the other youth enjoying various activities, but said, "I felt like when I played basketball, I had a better time than they did."

He has precise goals for his future in basketball. He said his first goal in college is to be freshman player of the year. "I've worked and worked, and if I keep working, I believe I can be one of the premiere college players in the country," he said.

Another goal he mentioned is to enter the NBA draft as early in his college career as he is projected to be a top-five draft pick. And if he doesn't reach the top five? He won't have much choice once his college eligibility runs out, he said with a laugh.

He has a firm strategy to reach his goals. "If I see someone out there who's better than I am, I just work harder," he said. "If he's better, it's not going to be because he works harder."

For now, he will concentrate on helping the Woodridge High School basketball team improve on last year's 23-7 record while also staying faithful to his family and Church.