Tim Dillon, whose done as much globetrotting as those guys from Harlem, can pull his passport from his pocket and put in a drawer.

Dillon, third on the Huskies’ career scoring list with 1,559 points, signed Wednesday with the Rockford Lightning of the Continental Basketball Association, a 12-team league funded in part by the NBA.

Does that mean a shot at the “show” is in Dillon’s plans?

“It wouldn’t be a slap at the CBA to say that most of these guys are using it (CBA) to get to the NBA. It’s more or less a farm system,” Dillon said.

After being drafted in the third round by the Chicago Bulls in 1984, Dillon went to play in Danny Ferry’s new crib, Italy. Dillon said he wonders now if the move was a good one.

“At the time, I was advised by my agent (Los Angeles-based lawyer Warren Legari) to go for the sure thing in Italy. It was lucrative. Now, looking back, it wasn’t the best choice.” He added that he was playing well at the time and he wasn’t aware of the strength of the Bulls’ interest.

In his year with the Trieste club and a subsequent year with Barcelona of Spain, Dillon averaged 21 points and 10.2 rebounds. Dillon injured his knee in a pickup game near his home in Dixon in the ensuing off-season.

Dillon said talking with top athletes like Leslie Frazier of the Chicago Bears during knee therapy inspired fresh interest in the NBA.

After averaging 31 points in the regular season and leading Australia’s North Melbourne Bera Giants to the national title on Oct. 15, Dillon decided it would be a good idea to actually live in the Dixon home he bought last summer with his wife, Sharon.

Legari called Lightning coach Charley Rosen Thanksgiving morning and, at Dillon’s request, offered Dillon’s services.

Coaches are cautious of players’ skills after they play “visa” ball, Rosen said, because fewer games per week are played and coaching quality is lower. However, Rosen said Dillon, whom he described as an intelligent player, “strikes me as being intelligent enough to maximize his time over there.”

Though Rosen had never seen Dillon play, the 6-foot-8, 245-pound forward had his first practice, indeed, his first hoops action since the Aussie title game, last night with the team.

Rosen said he was impressed with his initial look at Dillon, though Dillon scrimmaged just half court. Both agree that what Dillon needs now is bigger lungs.

“He needs to play, practice, run, get his wind,” Rosen said.

Dillon said no matter what conditioning measures he takes, “nothing can simulate what you do on the court.”

When told that Dillon has three of the top five Huskie performances at the Rockford MetroCentre, Rosen said, “That doesn’t concern me. I pay very little attention to guys’ numbers in college. It’s such a big step up from college to pros that success in one is not the same as the other.”

Rosen said Dillon will play “three, four, five minutes, whatever he can handle,” in tonight’s Lightning game.