UCLA recruit steals the show in dunk contest
UCLA recruit steals the show in dunk contest
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UCLA hoops recruit granted release from school (Yahoo! Sports)
LOS ANGELES (AP) — One of UCLA’s early signees under former coach Ben Howland won’t be playing basketball for the Bruins next season.
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UCLA Star Shabazz Muhammad Will Declare for 2013 NBA Draft
UCLA star Shabazz Muhammad, one of the most intriguing players in college basketball, has officially declared his intentions to enter the 2013 NBA draft.
The Bruins made the news official with a statement on their official website, where Muhammad shared his thoughts on his decision to leave for the pros.
I am so thankful for the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to play at UCLA and will always be proud to be a Bruin. From a young age, I have dreamed of playing in the NBA, and I believe that this is the right time for me to move to the next level.
I have had an unbelievable experience at UCLA and am eternally grateful to my teammates, my coaches and the program’s support staff for helping me become a better person and basketball player during my time in Westwood. It has been an honor and a privilege to play for coach Ben Howland.
It’s no surprise that Muhammad is electing to turn pro after a lone freshman season at UCLA, as the young man seemed destined to make this leap before arriving on campus.
Muhammad has had a highly publicized run-in with the NCAA, the ruling organization that initially declared him ineligible for the 2012-13 campaign.
Fortunately for Muhammad and the Bruins, an edict came down that reversed the original decision after he sat out for three games.
However, his presence didn’t make the impact that many felt it would. The 6’6”, 225-pound swingman only led the team to a 25-10 record and a disappointing round-of-64 loss in the 2013 NCAA tournament.
With 17.9 points and 5.2 boards per game, though, Muhammad has proven that he is a capable scorer and decent rebounder for his size. That said, there are two red flags that must be pointed out when assessing this young man’s draft stock.
The first is his lack of production outside of scoring and on the boards, as he averaged just 0.8 assists and 0.7 steals per game. Those statistics aren’t a good sign for his potential to contribute in the NBA as much more than a scorer.
The other major issue is the recent scandal involving the young star’s true age. The Los Angeles Times found that the swingman is actually 20 years old, not 19 as had been previously reported.
To many scouts and analysts, including ESPN’s Kevin Pelton, this change completely alters his potential as a pro player and drastically reduces his ceiling.
It will be interesting to see where he lands on draft day, but Muhammad will undoubtedly find a home in the lottery as a dynamic scorer with a good motor and high basketball IQ.
Read more College Basketball news on BleacherReport.com
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UCLA Basketball: Biggest Differences Between Ben Howland and Steve Alford
After 10 years filled with exuberance and frustration, the Ben Howland era is now over at UCLA. On the horizon now is the promise that former New Mexico coach and once Indiana Hoosiers star Steve Alford can bring to Westwood.
Although UCLA athletic director Dan Guerrero tried to sell Alford as a new, refreshing brand for Bruins basketball, the new head coach and the former aren’t as starkly contrasted as they may seem.
Nevertheless, there are a few noteworthy differences between Howland and Alford that suggest that promise, or at least some form of change, will be on the horizon for UCLA’s storied basketball program.
Here are the differences between the old and the new UCLA head coach.
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UCLA Basketball: Projecting the 5 Biggest Changes Steve Alford Will Make
Steve Alford has been hired as UCLA’s 13th head basketball coach.
With Alford, they say, things will be different. Things will go back to the way they were.
The way they were under John Wooden, you ask?
No, things will never be that way again. Not for UCLA, not for anybody.
Well, the way they were under Ben Howland, then?
Maybe. Which Ben Howland—the Howland of the first or the last five years?
The first, hopes UCLA’s faithful.
Alford is different than Howland, a different man and a different coach. How different is yet to be seen. What follows are five things that Alford will change—or won’t—as he takes control of UCLA’s basketball fate.
Follow Mark on Twitter @MyTimesProse
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Lopresti: Just win, Alford, it’s UCLA. Win … or walk
Steve Alford is the latest coach served up to bring the 1960s repeat titles to UCLA
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UCLA hires New Mexico’s Steve Alford as new coach
Alford, 48, signed a seven-year deal worth about $2.6 million per year.
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UCLA hires Steve Alford as new basketball coach (Yahoo! Sports)
LOS ANGELES (AP) — UCLA hired Steve Alford as basketball coach on Saturday, luring him from New Mexico days after he signed a new 10-year deal with the Lobos.
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Brad Stevens turns down UCLA to stay Butler coach
Butler will keep the coach who led it to consecutive national title games.
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Brad Stevens remains quiet amid UCLA speculation
The young Butler coach looks to be at the top of UCLA’s list to replace Ben Howland
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