What Landing Shabazz Muhammad Means for the UCLA Bruins

With Pac-12 foe Arizona set for a deep run in the NCAA tournament next season, Shabazz Muhammad couldn't come at a better time for UCLA.

While Arizona holds the No. 1 recruiting class according to ESPNU, ESPN declared that UCLA jumped from No. 12 to No. 2 in the rankings after Muhammad's announcement on Wednesday.

Combined with wing players Kyle Anderson (No. 5 overall recruit) and Jordan Adams, Muhammad will give the Bruins a fearsome recruiting class that now has a legitimate chance to challenge Arizona for the Pac-12 title and beyond.

Muhammad—the No. 2 overall recruit according to ESPNU—is one of the most explosive athletes in the class. At 6'6" and 215 pounds, he's a physical specimen who regularly jumped over defenders in high school and won the McDonald's Slam Dunk Contest in March.

Muhammad needs to improve his three-point shooting and work on his one-on-one moves, particularly going right, but can score in tight spaces and uses his size and athletic ability to be a lock-down defender against multiple positions.

Beyond all this, Muhammad is an extremely competitive player who has shown he'll do anything to win.

In that respect, Muhammad has been compared to Michael Kidd-Gilchrist.

UCLA went 19-14 last season, getting knocked out of the quarterfinals of the Pac-12 tournament by, you guessed it, Arizona. The Bruins failed to make the NCAA tournament for just the third time in Ben Howland's nine seasons with the team.

Muhammad has the ability to be an immediate, impact player for the Bruins and appears to be one of those talents who could leave for the NBA after one season.

Arizona, and the rest of the nation, weren't particularly scared of UCLA before Muhammad's decision on Wednesday, but now they have a lot to fear.

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