UCLA freshman Shabazz Muhammad, top ranked prospect and star of UCLA's well regarded 2012 recruiting class, has sustained a high ankle sprain and is a week away from returning to the court, according to a report from CBS Sports. More on Muhammad and UCLA Bruins basketball after the jump.
Muhammad reportedly sustained the injury in late June, during a game of five-on-five following a practice. UCLA basketball coach Ben Howland estimates Muhammad is a week away from returning.
Muhammad is part of an incoming class that also includes three other Top 75 recruits. Kyle Anderson, Jordan Adams and Tony Parker are all highly touted prospects joining the Bruins. Shabazz is well above the rest, though. As SB Nation's UCLA athletics blog Bruins Nation described him:
Muhammad is a 6'6'' wing player who checks in at 215 lbs. He's been described by just about everyone as a "scoring machine" with a fantastic ability to get to the rim and finish with his elite athleticism. He's also been impressing folks in the last few months with an improved jump shot that should make him the best all-around freshman scorer in the country next season.
As great as Muhammad's skill is, what has opened the eyes of many scouts, coaches and observers is his attitude. He showed up to high school just hoping get a college scholarship and now, he has his pick of any school in the country. That came from working his tail off for four years and that drive and work ethic is what people love about him. His motor is off the charts.
Like any prospect, he has a lot of developing to do. But with such potential, UCLA fans surely hope he returns to the court as soon as possible.
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