Agreed, maybe we could get Kevin Love to call him too. He's played almost as much for Coach K as he has for Howland and I remember hearing either him or someone else talk about the big part Love's time with K and USA basketball played in the leap he's made the past couple years. [Of course this is all hypothetical and in a world with none of the NCAA recruiting rules]
I don't think we can read anything negative into this dragging out. People have made the comment a few times that if he honestly prefers Duke, why hasn't he committed. The other side of that is if actually prefers UCLA or Kentucky, why wouldn't he have committed to one of them. He's probably leaning toward one of the three, but perhaps he really hasn't made a decision. Based on what I've read about Shabazz and heard in his interviews, he seems more Kobe than LeBron and wants to win on both the team and individual levels. The Kentucky model might give him the best chance to win an NCAA title next year, but if he can lead Duke or UCLA to a title he's got the chance to be more than just another one and done. Granted Carmelo Anthony was a year before the one and done rule, but I guarantee in a few years, casual fans are going to remember him taking Syracuse all the way more than any of Calipari's one and dones. And, since Syracuse is out of it, why not use some USA basketball connections and have Melo, the only one and done I can think of to win a national title and to play for Coach K, call up Bazz and tell him about it?
Thanks for the correction. I'd fix it but, I can't edit my post. But regardless of when Melo was at Syracuse in relation to the rule, I don't think Kentucky's win necessarily hurts us with Shabazz if he wants to win and leave his stamp on college basketball. Kentucky might be the safe choice for Shabazz, and even though Duke might be more of a challenge, the upside is that he could win a title at Duke and go down as the first person people remember about college basketball in 2012-2013. Using an NBA analogy, Kentucky would be like LeBron joining the Heat, but Duke is like Durant signing an extension with OKC or D-Rose winning the MVP in Chicago. For those not following the NBA, Chicago and OKC both have better records than Miami.
I think we have a legitimate shot at Bazz
Check out him wearing all this Duke gear http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m52x6...utu.be&t=1m20s
I hope that people aren't reading too much into the timing of the announcement -- or the delay before it.
Shabazz -- and several otyher top players -- are holding off their announcements until the big signing day show on ESPN. That's the way of the moefrn worlds -- players like to make a big splash ... remember the Black Falcon and his infamous skype (live on ESPNU) ... remember LeBron and his "I'm taking my talents to South Beach" on a national network.
It's quite possible that Shabazz knows where he's going ... it's just that the rest of us have to wait until April 11.
Well, hopefully this'll happen before April 11th
Frank Isola @FisolaNYDN
Lot of NBA people believe John Calipari to the Knicks is already being set into motion.
Tweet from Jerry Meyer about 15 mins ago...
@3starmeyer Hearing from a couple reliable sources that Shabazz Muhammad will end up at UCLA.
How could someone choose UCLA right now? Unless all of these reports about the program/Howland are false, I can't understand why a big time player would risk going there.
1. It's LA, which always helps.
2. I think a lot of the UCLA stuff centered around Reeves Nelson, who is gone.
3. They have a really good player (Kyle Anderson) who makes everyone around him better with his court vision and passing ability.
4. They are in the mix for several top prospects this year. Good players like to play with other good players.
I wouldn't feel too bad for them myself. Those guys are just using the school as a means to an end. Cal would be doing the same thing.
What I will enjoy seeing is the reaction from the Kentucky fans, who will go from worshipping at the altar of Calipari to crucifying him for being a sellout in about 4 seconds.
Yeah, I think a lot of the negativity has been a little bit overblown or maybe exagerrated. Bazz would have the chance to basically resurrect that program. Also, a few months ago wasn't there a guy around these boards from the LA area who claimed to be in know that Anderson, Bazz and Parker were basically a package deal and were all going to UCLA? Maybe he wasn't so crazy after all.