By Dustin Dow
The Cincinnati Enquirer

The University of Cincinnati's most heralded and controversial recruit, Robert Whaley, made his first public appearance at Oak Hills High School Tuesday to watch his teammates play in the Deveroes Summer League.

Whaley is a 6-foot-10 junior-college transfer from Barton County (Kan.) Community College and comes to UC as the top-rated junior-college transfer in the nation. He's so highly regarded, he doesn't expect to be at Cincinnati for more than his junior year before he leaves for the NBA.

"Two years," Whaley said. "I think that might not happen. I'm probably looking at it as one year and out."

Whaley arrived in Cincinnati Sunday after pleading no contest to two Class-B person misdemeanor counts of battery Thursday in Barton County. His plea was part of an agreement that allows him to avoid jail time. By pleading down from felony charges, Whaley is also eligible to play at UC.

Whaley, from Benton Harbor, Mich., was charged May 6 with two felonious counts of aggravated battery in connection with a Feb. 9 incident in Barton County after a basketball homecoming game against Garden City Community College.

"(The plea) was more of a deal so I could be here playing now," Whaley said. "It would affect my career not to be here now. The plea was a way of kind of taking the easy way out so I could be here now."

Whaley had two consecutive six-month jail sentences suspended and was placed on probation for one year. If Whaley violates the terms of his probation, he will serve the jail time.

"All of it was because of who I was," Whaley said, alluding to his celebrity status in Barton County. "There were two charges, and one of them I didn't even know what it was."

In 2001, Whaley was charged with criminal sexual conduct in Berrien County, Mich. His trial ended in a hung jury. The decision prompted Missouri coach Quin Snyder to withdraw the school's scholarship offer to Whaley.

"That was all a life lesson," Whaley said. "It was the same type of thing that happened (in Kansas). I stood out in the papers. But I've got a lot of respect for coach (Bob Huggins). Cincinnati didn't give up on me. They're giving me a chance."

Whaley is part of a recruiting class at Cincinnati that is ranked among the best in the nation. He comes in as a junior expecting to make an immediate impact with the Bearcats.

"He's most definitely welcome," said UC junior Jason Maxiell. "But it's going to be hard for him every day in practice, because we're not going to take it easy on him."

Whaley played a pickup game with UC players Monday. He won't play in the summer league until next year.

"Next year is going to be good for all of us," Whaley said. "I feel like the missing piece of the puzzle."

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Colleen Kane contributed to this report. E-mail ddow@enquirer.com