Newly committed recruit Shabazz Muhammad may not be the savior he has been hailed to be
Ben Howland landed arguably his biggest commitment as UCLA coach when top recruit Shabazz Muhammad signed with UCLA Wednesday.
By Daily Bruin Staff
April 12, 2012 1:59 a.m.
Long before Wednesday, Shabazz Muhammad was viewed as a potential savior for UCLA basketball, and not just because he happens to have a prophetic last name.
When he made the dreams of a few UCLA coaches and scores of Bruin fans come true by announcing his decision to attend UCLA, he seemed to play the part of savior just fine.
“I think it’s a challenge,” Muhammad said when asked why he picked UCLA over Kentucky and Duke. “Knowing how bad they were the last two years, it’s a challenge to really get them back up to the top.”
It was a blunt way to say it, especially considering UCLA was an NCAA Tournament team two seasons ago. But Muhammad wasn’t mincing words: This UCLA team (and maybe its coach) is in need of saving. He seems to relish that.
This is coach Ben Howland’s most important commitment since Kevin Love, now a two-time NBA All-Star. Like he just did with Muhammad, Howland crossed state lines to secure a sure-fire professional. Unlike Muhammad, Love was tabbed to continue a tradition that included back-to-back Final Four appearances and a return to national prominence.
That UCLA program didn’t need any rescuing. Four years later, Howland practically had to send out a distress signal to sell Muhammad on coming.
“We have not been where we wanted to be these last few years,” Howland said in a Wednesday night teleconference. “We want to be champions.”
Muhammad’s short list included just that ““ champions. All recent champions: Kansas, Duke and Kentucky, which won its eighth title 10 days ago. Wildcats coach John Calipari was already talking about “chasing UCLA” and its record 11 titles.
Instead, Muhammad chose the wanna-bes, the school that last won it all when he was a year old.
There are now heightened expectations, but Howland’s recent teams have treated expectations with the same disregard that I show the Daily Bruin every morning when I skin it to get to the crossword.
UCLA’s success will hinge on more than just Muhammad. Joshua Smith will have to be in better shape. Banner recruit Kyle Anderson could be the starting point guard next season and he’ll have to learn the game quickly. Howland will have to put his new talent in the right places and, maybe more importantly, get back to recruiting. He’ll need replacements for when this new crop leaves, as Muhammad probably will in a year.
That makes this a risk-free proposition for Muhammad. He gets to enjoy a year in L.A. (“location” probably wasn’t something that Kentucky was selling) and if UCLA wins during his stay, he’s hailed as a hero. If the Bruins revert to the very un-UCLA form of the recent past, Howland’s hot seat reaches a boil.
Enjoy Muhammad’s stay while it lasts.
Have you ever actually met anyone named Muhammad? If so, email Menezes at [email protected].
