Shabazz Muhammad to UCLA: Bruins Are Instant Favorites in Weak Pac-12

The UCLA Bruins' rough year just got a lot smoother. That is what happens when you land one of the top two recruits in the nation. 

Explosive wingman Shabazz Muhammad is taking his talents to UCLA, and the Bruins are now the runaway favorites to win the Pac-12. 

Muhammad is going to be unguardable on the college level. Players that can match his speed won't be able to match his strength, and vice versa. 

Muhammad is 6'6" and 225 pounds of muscle and he can move. He is amazing in the open court, great in the mid-range game and can take defenders off the dribble.

He is not a deadly outside shooter yet, but he isn't terrible either. He will be able to score at will, and he has been proving this in offseason All-Star contests. He was the run away winner for MVP of the McDonald's All-Star game and followed that up with a Nike Hoops Summit record of 35 points and nine boards. 

He is the real deal, and here is the kicker for the Bruins: he won't have to win games single-handedly. 

The Bruins already had elite recruit Kyle Anderson on board. Anderson is 6'8", but has the ability to run the point. He has great ball handling and shooting skills, and will team up with Muhammad to make the Bruins a force. 

There is not another team in Pac-12 ready to handle that length and athleticism on the perimeter. UCLA is the clear favorite to win a conference that struggled this year, and had no other clear-cut favorite emerging.