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Highly-regarded freshman guard Shabazz Muhammad is still waiting on clearance from the NCAA to play for the UCLA Bruins this season, but he could still play in Friday's opener, according to Baxter Homes of the Los Angeles Times. Muhammad's clearance has been delayed as the NCAA investigates possible dealings between his AAU team, family and two agents.
Muhammad may be able to take the court for the Bruins on Friday because of an NCAA rule that allows a player under investigation to practice and play with his team for a 45-day period while awaiting a decision. Holmes notes that Muhammad began workouts around a month ago, so he would still fall in that window.
Even if Muhammad is cleared, he may not be healthy enough to play. The freshman strained his shoulder two weeks ago, and the time table for recovery could be up to four weeks.
UCLA hosts Indiana State on Friday night at 11 p.m. ET.
This story was originally published on SBNation.com.