Shabazz Muhammad to UCLA: Top Recruit Makes Admirable Choice

Shabazz Muhammad had people guessing for months, but he ultimately chose to take his talents to UCLA. 

Muhammad, the top basketball recruit in the country, announced that he would be joining the Bruins during a live TV special on ESPNU. The star swingman out of Las Vegas had narrowed his list of finalists down to Kentucky, Duke and UCLA, and he said he chose UCLA in part because of the program's recent struggles.

Courtesy of the Los Angeles Times:

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I just think it’s a challenge, knowing how bad they were these last two years and it’s a challenge to really get them back up to the top knowing they’re the leaders in championships with 11. And with Kyle Anderson as a great addition to that program and Jordan Adams and hopefully if Tony Parker will come, then there’s a lot of bits and pieces to that team that could make it a really great team.

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The Bruins, in case you happened to miss it, found themselves in hot water this season when a story by George Dohrmann of Sports Illustrated cast the program in remarkably bad light. Ben Howland came off as a coach who was indifferent towards his players as individuals, and UCLA's present struggles were portrayed as a symptom of Howland having lost control of the team.

When that story came out, Howland, and UCLA basketball in general, seemed doomed. Here we are several weeks later, and the program has just secured the best scorer in the country.

Make no mistake about it, choosing to accept the challenge of going to UCLA is not something that should be blown off. Muhammad could have made an easy choice, but he made a hard one.

Going to Kentucky would have been easy. Muhammad would have joined yet another great collection of recruits rounded up by John Calipari, and he could have slid right into the spot previously occupied by Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. He would have had a chance to win a national championship, and Calipari would not have complained if Muhammad had left after one year.

Going to Duke also would have been an easy choice. Muhammad would have had a chance to play for the most respected head coach in the country in Mike Krzyzewski, and he could have competed for a national championship there, too. And because Kyrie Irving and Austin Rivers both chose to leave Duke after one year, it seems Coach K doesn't have an issue with potential one-and-done players either.

The situation at UCLA is considerably more rocky. The question is not whether the Bruins can win a championship with Muhammad and the others in the fold. The question is merely whether or not they can return to the NCAA tournament. 

Even winning the Pac-12 won't be easy. Muhammad's commitment is huge, but it's not huge enough to knock Arizona from the top of the recruiting rankings. The Wildcats are going to be a very good team, and they won't be the only quality team in the Pac-12. It's not UCLA's conference to lose just because it has Muhammad.

So when Muhammad says he wanted to accept the challenge of going to UCLA, he's not kidding. Winning in Southern California will not be as easy as it would have been in Lexington or Durham.

And for that, you have to tip your cap to Muhammad.