The top college basketball recruit in the country for next year is leaning really strongly at the UCLA Bruins. Shooting guard Shabazz Muhammad from Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas (#1 on ESPN, #1 on Rivals) is certainly giving all the indications that he wants to be playing his college basketball in Westwood. And it's very likely he might be bringing someone along with him.
Muhammad has a good friend who also happens to be a great basketball talent, fellow Elite 24 recruit Kyle Anderson from St. Anthony's in Jersey City (#5 on ESPN, #3 on Rivals). Anderson and Muhammad both visited the Bruins together less than a month ago. Now Adam Zagoria talks up the possibility at Five Star Basketball of the two of them playing together, because there's only one school intersecting both of their lists.
And if you don't think the two elite prospects have talked about playing with one another in college, think again.
"We're thinking about it a lot," the 6-foot-8 Anderson from St. Anthony said Friday afternoon by phone from the event. "I mean, we're thinking about it. I don't know how far it will go, but there's a definitely a possibility it could happen."
Asked if UCLA was the only potential landing spot for both players, Anderson said, "Yes."
There's almost no doubt that securing verbals from Muhammad and Anderson would propel UCLA to the top college basketball recruiting class in the country. Now all Bruins fand can do is wait, and hope the two are willing to give UCLA fans the best freshman backcourt in the country a season from now. Anderson does have a lot of potential suitors--with St. John's sticking out the most to him--but if he plans on teaming up with Shabazz, there's only one place he can go next fall.
For more on UCLA basketball recruiting, go to Bruins Nation.