Is Shabazz Muhammad number five?
It might be a stretch, but he does have the size and offensive ability to be a very good player in the NBA. There is so much that has surrounded the 6-6, 222 pound G/F out of UCLA since his high school playing days at Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas. Possible NCAA violations surfaced a few times in a short period of time and there was questions about his actual age. But Phoenix Suns general manager Ryan McDonough said that he has done extensive background checks on Muhammad like he does all the players and believes the perception of his character is unfair.
Career Highlights: The Pac-12 Co-Freshman of the year along side ASU’s Jahii Carson and Sporting News Second Team All-American. Ranked fourth in the conference in scoring at 17.9 points per game which led the Bruins as a freshman, securing First-Team All-Pac-12 Conference honors. Was one of 21 players named to the Lute Olson All-America Team.
High School: Averaged 29.4 points, 10.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists as a high school senior at Bishop Gorman high school in Las Vegas. Named 2012 Naismith Boy’s High School Player of the Year. Selected by the McDonoald’s All-America committee as the 2012 Morgan Wootten Player of the Year. Earned Most Valuable Player of the 2012 McDonald’s All-American Game scoring a game-high 21 points in 22 minutes in the contest. Named the 2011 and 2012 Gatorade State Player of the Year in Nevada. Helped Bishop Gorman capture three Nevada 4A state titles. Ranked the number one player in the nation by Rivals.com and number two by ESPN.com and Scout.com
Strenghts: Natural scorer. Very strong and physical at his position. Loves to slash to the basket and it a good finisher at the rim. Plays extremely hard. Solid shooter when his feet are set.
Personal: Father, Ronald, played college basketball for USC from 1981-85. Sister, Asia, is a pro tennis player.
