Shabazz Muhammad: Power Ranking Prep Star's Potential Destinations

National signing day will be a celebratory occasion for at least one highly esteemed college basketball program and a heartbreaking one for two others once Shabazz Muhammad is done with his ritual hat shuffle.

The star swingman from Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas is set to announce where he'll play his (presumably one year of) college ball during a press conference televised nationally by ESPNU on Wednesday.

There's no bad decision, per se, to be made between Kentucky, Duke and UCLA, three bluebloods of the sport that have combined to win 23 NCAA tournament titles.

But how do they stack up as options for Muhammad, both in terms of the opportunity to win and the potential training for the NBA?

3. Duke

A first-round exit at the hands of Lehigh. A long and ugly history of stars going bust in the NBA. A year of playing in a stiff system for a taskmaster of a coach.

So why would Shabazz want to go to Duke? Oh, right—IT'S DUKE. Mike Krzyzewski isn't exactly an easy man to turn down, what with his 11 Final Four appearances, four national championships, 927 wins, and gold medals with Team USA at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 2010 FIBA World Championships in Turkey.

And Coach K's track record on one-and-dones is rapidly improving, with Luol Deng starring for the Chicago Bulls, Kyrie Irving on track to be the 2012 NBA Rookie of the Year and Austin Rivers potentially bound for the draft lottery. Those guys have all managed to succeed within the confines of Coach K's strict, team-first system, and if Muhammad does too, he'll be that much better off in the eyes of pro scouts.

Oh, and have I mentioned the part about playing at Cameron Indoor Stadium and partaking in the storied Tobacco Road rivalry against North Carolina? That may not help Muhammad's draft stock, but it should add some intrigue to Duke's appeal.

2. UCLA

If Shabazz wants to establish himself as a legend, a savior and a top prospect all in one fell swoop, he'd be wise to take his talents to UCLA.

To be sure, the Bruins (and, by the Bruins, I mean Ben Howland) could certainly use a superstar of Shabazz's caliber to lift them from the depths to which they've fallen since their run of three straight Final Fours. Howland's hoopsters have missed the Big Dance in two of the last three years amidst scandal, dismissals and missed opportunities on the recruiting trail.

Things seem to be on the up-and-up, though, now that Reeves Nelson is gone, Larry Drew Jr. is eligible, and blue-chippers Kyle Anderson and Jordan Adams are on their way. The Bruins should be good enough to make the tournament and contend for the Pac-12 title without Muhammad.

But with him, they're a legitimate threat to win the national championship...and save Howland's job in the process. Besides, what better for UCLA to open the newly renovated Pauley Pavilion than with the school's 12th basketball banner?

Putting the Bruins back on the map (for real this time) would make Muhammad an immortal figure in Westwood, where he'd have the opportunity to play in front of family and friends.

As for the NBA, Howland has a superb reputation of turning out successful pros, with Jordan Farmar, Arron Afflalo, Kevin Love, Russell Westbrook and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute all earning eight-figure contracts over the last two years, and Jrue Holiday likely to join them in that regard before too long.

1. Kentucky

No coach has done better with one-and-dones, in terms of both winning at the collegiate level and developing top-notch pros, than John Calipari. He turned out back-to-back Rookie of the Year winners (Derrick Rose and Tyreke Evans) at Memphis before twirling John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, Eric Bledsoe, Enes Kanter and Brandon Knight through the revolving door at Kentucky.

Not to mention this year's crowning achievement—capturing his first national title (and UK's eighth) and potentially having Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist taken with the top two picks in the 2012 NBA draft.

Muhammad's game compares quite favorably to MKG's.

Both are uber-talented slashers off the wing and whose drool-inducing gifts are topped only by their coachability, team-first attitude and desire to win at any cost.

Throw him into the mix with Alex Poythress, Archie Goodwin, whomever is left over from last season's squad and potentially Nerlens Noel, and the Wildcats will have themselves a team capable of defending their crown, challenging for an undefeated season and sending more future All-Stars to the pros when all is said and done.

That sounds like a good move for Shabazz, even if it stirs the ire of those legions of college basketball fans who'd rather not see Coach Cal and his 'Cats cut down the nets again.

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