LOS ANGELES – Twelve pounds lighter than he when he laced up his neon yellow sneakers for the first time in a UCLA uniform, Shabazz Muhammad acknowledged earlier this week that, with a new training and diet regimen to get back into shape, he finally felt like himself.
And in turn, in the Bruins’ 95-53 demolition of Prairie View A&M on Saturday night, Muhammad finally looked the part of the nation’s top prospect.
Unstoppable at times throughout the UCLA romp, the 6-foot-6 freshman swingman scored a career-high 25 points – 23 of which he collected in the game’s first 31 minutes. It was by far the best performance of his young career, as Muhammad shot an impressive 8 of 14 from the field, including 3 of 6 from long range. He drove effectively to the basket and flashed the high-energy, aggressive style of play that made him the nation’s most coveted recruit before the season – signs that he could be ready to handle duties as the Bruins’ lead playmaker as UCLA gets closer to Pac-12 play.
For Muhammad, that change in production doesn’t just boil down to his recent weight loss. More than anything, it’s about confidence – something he and his teammates flashed plenty of in Saturday’s victory.
“I’m starting to get a lot more confident,” Muhammad said. “Guys free me up in transition, shooting the three, taking guys off the dribble – I’m feeling a lot more comfortable in my game how it’s going right now.”
That seemed to be the case for all of the Bruins’ young players Saturday, as 2012’s No. 1 recruiting class – which, till this point, had drastically underperformed – ran the show against Prairie View A&M. In addition to Muhammad’s season-best performance, freshman Kyle Anderson turned in his most statistically impressive game of the season, tallying 16 points, 11 rebounds, and 7 assists. Even freshman Tony Parker, who had played limited minutes leading up to Saturday night, finished 4 for 4 from the field with nine points.
“If you look at it, it was a great all-around performance for all of the freshmen,” Muhammad said. “I just think we’re starting to get it more and get into the flow of this college basketball game.”
UCLA (7-3) never lost its flow Saturday – or the lead, after Prairie View A&M (5-6) tied it at 7 just a few minutes into the first half. The Bruins rode a 29-11 first-half run to take their second-largest halftime lead of the season, doubling up the Panthers after one half. And with another big run to open the second, the Bruins rode their freshmen and their most effective man defense of the season to a 42-point victory.
UCLA coach Ben Howland attributed some of that improvement to the Bruins’ practices this week, as the end of exams marked an uptick in UCLA’s available practice time. That extra practice showed Saturday, as UCLA was tighter on defense – the Panthers shot just 34 percent – and shot the ball much better – 56 percent.
“It’s getting better,” Howland said. “I think our young players are just growing and learning. It’s just all the little things.”
On Saturday, Muhammad and his teammates did all the little things – a performance that could mean a big step in the right direction.
Contact the writer: rkartje@ocregister.com
