Shabazz Muhammad, the No. 1 player in the class of 2012, is coveted by just about every program in the nation. The 6'6 wing out of Bishop Gorman High School recently unofficially visited USC and their basketball program. Is there a legitimate interest between the two sides? Possibly, but don't hold your breath.
From The LA Times report on Muhammad and his visit:
Shabazz Muhammad, the consensus No. 1 player in the Class of 2012, enjoyed his unofficial visit to USC enough that he apparently said afterward that he'd like to take an official visit there.
...
What's rather interesting about his unofficial visit is that USC appeared to be out of the running for Muhammad, at least according to numerous reports.
As my colleague Ben Bolch reported recently, Muhammad's official list, in alphabetical order, included Arizona, Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, Memphis, Texas, Texas A&M, UCLA and Nevada Las Vegas -- but not USC.
UCLA has been rumored to be the favorite for a multitude of reasons, but Muhammad has recently started taking a look at different programs around the country. The article continues:
Muhammad, who can sign either in the fall signing period in November or in the spring signing period in mid-April, has urged outsiders to ignore Internet rumors and he repeated that message again Sunday, emphasizing that he was interested in USC, sources said.
"He likes USC, he's always liked KO [USC Coach Kevin O'Neill," Holmes said.
Does Muhammad end up at USC? Probably not. Unless he is dead-set on playing in Los Angeles and something goes wrong with UCLA, it's tough to imagine the top-prospect playing for Coach O'Neil. It is still something to keep an eye on, though. The rumors have flown left and right surrounding the wing and he could end up anywhere.