#15 Shabazz Muhammad | G
Stats

Hometown: Las Vegas, NV

Height: 6'6"

Weight: 225

Position: Shooting Guard

Team: UCLA

Class: Freshman
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Strengths

Left-handed…He has tremendous scoring instincts and is by far and away the best offensive player in the Class of 2012. He has the confidence and talent to dominate, but perhaps most impressively, he brings this unmatched intensity level to outwork his opponent on any and every possession. He is an explosive athlete with a great first-step to get by his defender and finish at the rim. Muhammad can physically handle contact with his 220 pound solid frame and has excellent length with a near-7-foot wingspan; Given his physical profile and skill set, Muhammad is a terror in the open court where he is aggressive beyond belief and attacks the rim with vengeance. In the halfcourt setting, he is quite dangerous attacking the rim where he can elevate over the defense and finish with his length, superior athleticism and a soft touch. He likes to drive the lane, take one of two dribbles and pull-up from 12-15 feet out. Muhammad possesses the total body strength for his position to take his man down into the low-post and score with some basic post moves- comfortable with the hook shot over his right shoulder especially and countering with an up-and-under and can face-up for the kiss off the glass as well. He has good elevation on this short-jump shot to get the lift off the ground and let it go without obstruction from the defender… He is a very good offensive rebounder thanks in large part to his wingspan and leaping ability… Defensively, Muhammad shows excellent lateral quickness, which, when combined with his length, will help him defend 1s, 2s and 3s, although he is best on guards given his shorter stature.
Weaknesses

Muhammad is one-dimensional at this stage of his career. While he set various high school and all-star game scoring records, he does show by attempting a high-volume of shots. He has the ball-handling to create for himself, but also for others, but very rarely does he look to dish the ball out to the open man, even if it means taking on an additional defender by himself. If he can trust his teammates, he will certainly develop into a higher-caliber star… Although he is listed at a generous 6'6", Muhammad measured in at just 6'4 ˝" without shoes on… He is a streaky perimeter shooter, excelling from 12-15 feet and in and needs time to get a look and an accurate release any further out. Muhammad isn't a great catch-and-shoot player off the ball, something he needs to improve as well moving forward… He needs to continue to put in time with his ball-handling to take his game to the next level, especially with his right-hand… Defensively, Muhammad has a tendency to take too many risks and gamble for steals, which can leave his team short-handed on that end of the floor.
The Scouting Report: