Shabazz Muhammad is by all accounts one of the candidates to be the top recruit in the 2012 class. And he just made UCLA basketball nationally relevant again, perhaps even saving Ben Howland's job in the process.
Muhammad committed to UCLA over Kentucky and Duke just moments ago on ESPNU. Muhammad will bring a much needed offensive injection from the wing position and make UCLA one of the instant Pac-12 title contenders. With Kyle Anderson at point guard plus Jordan Adams and potentially Tony Parker, UCLA will potentially have the top recruiting class in the country.
While it's too early to know if Muhammad will be good enough to lift the Bruins back into the national conversation, UCLA does look an awfully lot better than it did a few weeks ago. They have great offensive talent at every position and should be one of the toughest teams in the country to stop, particularly in a full court contest. Howland was banking on landing Shabazz, and now he has a real dangerous basketball team to work with in Westwood.
To talk about Shabazz and the success of UCLA basketball recruiting, head on over to Bruins Nation. To discuss Shabazz's decision with Kentucky fans, check out A Sea of Blue. To talk about Duke basketball recruiting, head to Duke Basketball Report.