Shabazz Muhammad and Other Early Candidates for Wooden Award

Now that we know where Shabazz Muhammad will be attending school, we can move on to the next level of speculation regarding the ultra-talented 6'6" 2-guard.

The presence of Muhammad and Kyle Anderson makes the Bruins one of the major favorites in the Pac-12, but Muhammad could also be in line for some individual hardware.

Last season, freshman Anthony Davis took home the John R. Wooden Award, and there is a good chance that a freshman could win it again in the upcoming season.

Here is a shortlist of the early candidates:

Shabazz Muhammad - UCLA

Muhammad will have every opportunity to score, and that is his best attribute. He averaged 29 points per game as a senior at Bishop Gorman high school.

He is a legit 6'6" muscular kid, with great athleticism and tons of dribble-drive moves.

Muhammad is the best pure scorer I've seen coming into college in years. He is on par with where Kevin Durant and Glenn Robinson were at this age as offensive players.

The fact that ESPN dropped him to third on their prospect list is laughable. No slight to Nerlens Noel, but the nation will see who the best freshman in the country is this year.

Stat Prediction: 24 PPG, 5 RPG, 2 APG

Nerlens Noel - Kentucky

The Wildcats will likely have more talent that the Bruins, and thus more wins. Couple that with the amazing talent that Noel is, and he's certainly a candidate for the award.

Last season, Thomas Robinson's stats were arguably better than Davis', but Kentucky was more dominant.

It could happen again. Noel will likely have a similar impact defensively as Davis did. He is a gifted shot-blocker with tremendous length, and he's probably a better low-post defender than Davis.

Kentucky will again be talented with the additions they have coming, so it's possible Noel could be the brightest of a new crop of stars in the Bluegrass State.

Stat Prediction: 12 PPG, 12 RPG, 4 BPG

Cody Zeller - Indiana

Zeller could have come out of school this year, but he returned. In his sophomore season, Zeller and the Hoosiers will be legitimate national-championship contenders.

He led the Hoosiers in scoring, rebounding, steals, blocks and field goal percentage as a freshman. He is a solid NBA prospect, so this year will likely be his last.

Because of the Hoosiers' expected team success, Zeller has a great shot at winning the award.

Stat Prediction: 18 PPG, 10 RPG, 1.5 BPG

James McAdoo - North Carolina

McAdoo's case will be hurt by the fact that it figures to be a down year for the Tar Heels—at least by their lofty standards.

The draft ravaged the team, but that will also create space for McAdoo to shine like the James Worthy clone that he is.

He really started to come on towards the end of last season, and his sophomore campaign should be special. Look for him to be a primary option on offense, and a lock-down defender.

Stat Prediction: 15 PPG, 8 RPG, 1.5 BPG, 1.5 SPG