With his two current competitors, Andre Drummond and Isaiah Austin, for the top ranking in the 2012 class under the same Compton roof, Shabazz Muhammad set out to show that he was the best prospect in his class. Although 6'11" Drummond manifested a fire that is not always there, Muhammad walked away with the MVP Award at the Pangos All-American Camp. The nearly 6'6" chiseled, lefty wing violently attacked the rim repeatedly.  Teamed with his brother, Rashad, and best friend, Winston Shepard, Muhammad gave his peers and the elders in attendance a fresh reminder of his consistently high effort and competitiveness.

After winning the Nevada state title during Muhammad's freshman and sophomore seasons, Grant Rice, the head coach of the Bishop Gorman Gaels in Las Vegas, tried to play a very competitive national schedule. The results were humbling and, ultimately, the Las Vegas powerhouse lost in an upset to Bishop Manogue of Reno, 45-44, in the state semi-finals. For his efforts, however, the junior Muhammad was named the Gatorade Player of the Year in Nevada, averaging over twenty-five points and nearly eight rebounds per game. With virtually all of the important cogs, including several high-major prospects, returning for next season, Muhammad and the Gaels will attempt to bring a national title to his Las Vegas Catholic school.

On the AAU circuit, Shabazz Muhammad has helped his DreamVision brethren capture titles at the Easter Classic, the Jayhawk Invitational, and the EBO Classic. For the next month, however, the Muhammad brothers, their dad, Ron Holmes, who played for USC, and Shepard, who now lives with family, will head into the Gorman gym for three hours of intense daily workouts. They're trying to fine tune their skills and conditioning before the July period, when coaches will be able to evaluate their every game.

Recently, Shabazz Muhammad spoke individually with us about a myriad of topics, including a lingering rumor that he is a UCLA lock, his conversations with Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski, what fuels his competitiveness, and the effects of last season's grueling schedule.

How have you played so far this AAU season?

We're coming out strong. I mean we're winning a lot of games. Our team is really jelling.

You guys have won the Easter, the Jayhawk, and EBO events.

Yeah, I mean each of those have been really good experiences. We're facing quality competition at every event, but we're competing out there and doing a good [private] job.

You've made a few new additions.

Yeah, we've made a few new additions. Rob (Upshaw) has been big for us. He's nearly a seven footer and you saw him out here tonight. He can get up and down the floor. He's been a really good addition for us.

He's really been one of standouts at the Pango's event. A massive kid that can bang a bit inside, knocked down a couple of eighteen footers, and can run the court.

Oh, yeah, absolutely. We love to run and he's been able to keep up with us.

Last summer, you spoke about your high school team was going to play a much more challenging, national schedule. Then, I caught up with you after that tough one at the Hoop Hall Classic in Massachusetts. Looking back, how do you feel now about your schedule? Competitive? Too grueling? 

Oh, no, it was great. We were a young team and just getting after it. Next year, I really think it's going to help us. We're kind of a veteran team now. That ESPN game was hopefully helpful for us.
 

What do you have planned for this coming season?

No, nothing yet. We're just trying to get better, you know, stay in the gym and keep working together.

For those that want to catch you at future events, what do you have coming up?

Yeah, sure, well, we're basically done for June. So, we've got Indianapolis in June, an Adidas tournament in Cincinnati, but we're going to get back in the gym and make sure everything stays at a high level.

Now, will you be going to Vegas this year again or Orlando?

Oh, yeah, Vegas again.

Now, what are the goals for you individually next season?

Man, I want to be an All-American…a McDonald's All-American and, for my team, I want us to go undefeated. I think we're probably going to try to go for the national title. We're going to try to get that.

Your coach was saying February that, in some ways, going through all of those challenging games was a warmup for next year. It was, sort of, a test run.

Oh, yeah, absolutely, it was. It was a great experience and we're going to use it and just go from there. We're going to return a veteran team. We're going to win a lot of games next year.

What about the addition of Zimmerman? He can give you a little more inside help. I hadn't seen him play until this weekend.

Oh, yeah, he comes and meets us in the gym everyday. He works hard. He's a good player. He's about 6'10" in eighth grade and wears a size twenty shoe so you don't know really how big he's going to get. He's a great talent and, if he keeps getting at it, he's going to be a really great player.

What about your own work ethic? I know last summer you worked out at Impact Academy. Are you doing that again or heading elsewhere?

Yeah, last summer, I worked at Impact, but this summer I'm working out at my school. I have a key for there. We work out about three hours at the gym, we’re able to lift weights, too.

Mostly in the morning?

Mostly after school, but now in the summer, I’ll probably be getting in two days.

In terms of professional advice, has your sister given you any? I know she’s a professional tennis player.

Oh, yeah, she always says just stay humble and work hard and see how far it takes you.

Is being in that #1 spot an important thing for you or does it not matter so much?

Oh, yeah, I’m gunning for that, but that’ll come if I just keep playing hard, hopefully. I just try not to look at that and just try to think of myself as another guy playing hard who's just trying to get ranked. If I do that, then that will come.

Can you touch on your effort level? I find that you really bring it every game, especially on offense. I find your effort level is just off the charts.

Oh, yeah, I try to get after it on offense and defense, too.

The first time I saw you, I was amazed at how hard you competed.

Oh, yeah, well, that’s what you got to do to be a great player, so that’s what I’m going to keep doing and hopefully the results will and continue to work hard on offense and defense.

Who are some players that you’re close to nationally?

Winston Shepherd, you’ve seen him play.

Oh, yeah, I always see the two of you together..you two and Rashad.

Yeah, that’s my boy. He’s like my brother. My brother Rashad, Rodney Purvis, and Archie Goodwin. I know a lot of these guys out here are my competitors, but off the court, we’re cool.

Now that you mentioned it, actually the first name Purvis gave was you.

Yeah, Rodney is a great talent. He reminds you a little of D-Wade..the way he gets up. He’s like 6’2”, he can dribble the ball, he can really be an impact player in college.

Yeah, I caught him last week at the EYBL. Can you assess your jumper and your handle? Those are two things you mentioned to me you wanted to work on in an interview last summer.

Yeah, it’s the same thing. I’ve really been working on those two in the gym. Just working on ball handling and jump shots. Pick and roll and all of that kind of stuff.

Can you talk about the positives of each of the programs that are coming after you?

Oh, yeah, I just feel blessed that all of these colleges are interested. I just spoke with Coach K. Talked to him yesterday. Coach Cal, I e-mail him all of the time. Really, I'm just grateful to talk to all of these great coaches who’ve coached all of these NBA players and that kind of stuff. So, I just feel blessed. It’s a blessing to be out here every day and performing.

Can you give the audience a feel for what your conversations are like with either Coach K or Coach Calipari? Give a little insight or taste of what those conversations are like.

Oh, yeah, I mean, they’re like regular guys. Everybody thinks those guys have an ego of some sort. They want you to work. Coach K says if I go there, he says he wants me to work and play hard and play from the get-go and the same with Coach Cal. He’s going to push me, run and gun, all of those coaches are doing that and that’s what I look for.

So you feel they’re just normal guys?

Oh, yeah, they’re normal guys. People think they’re celebrity guys, but they’re just guys like us.

Well, I'm normal, but you’re not normal.

(laughs)

People talk about UCLA being your leader. Can you address that?

Oh, yeah, I have no leader at this point. I am wide open. I’m taking all of the opportunities that I can for colleges and the unofficials and that kind of stuff because I don’t want to commit too early.

Does that kind of stuff annoy you?

Oh, yeah, it really kinda does because people can take it the wrong way.

Because some would think it have to be either you or your brother that’s trying to leak it.

Yeah, I just try to clear it up with everybody and tell them that I’m open, wide open.

In terms of the time, do you have anything in mind for when you’d like to decide by?

I just think whenever it’s comfortable for me. I’ll make the decision then, but, right now, still I’m blessed to have this opportunity and talk to these coaches.

Sure, you only go through this once. What’s your current size?

6’6”, 215.

Is that a little bit heavier than you were ?

I was 218, but lost a little weight. I’m now down to 215 so I could be a little more aggressive.

Have you ever thought about going to school with Winston Shepherd?

Oh, yeah, absolutely, we talk about it all of the time.

Because, as I said before, I see you two together all of the time.

Oh, yeah, he’s like my family. He’s staying at my house right now, in fact. We’re literally like brothers staying over at my house. Play AAU together. He’s a real good player, he’s 6’8” and talented. He can handle a basketball.

I thought he played really well tonight out there with you.

Oh, yeah, he did.

What’s it like growing up in Las Vegas?

It’s nice.

 

Is it unusual?

No, it’s not unusual. People think it’s unusual because of the Strip, but most people who live there don’t go to the Strip. I like the weather, besides the summer. It gets really hot, but it’s a great place to grow up.

Talk about your father and his influence. He played at USC and what kind of guidance does he give you?

He’s the number one influence on me. I mean, he works me out, he helps me here. He does everything.

It looks like he’s in a little bit better shape than last summer.

(laughs) Oh, yeah, I’m trying to get him to lose weight.

Does he work out with you guys?

Oh, yeah, he does. He’s getting it after it also.. as am I.

I remember seeing a picture of him as a senior in the LA Times where he was just flying through the air.

Oh, yeah, we’re trying to get him back there.

Which players do you find underrated in your travels?

Underrated? I think Winston Shepherd’s underrated. He’s sixty something and he’s a top twenty-five guy. He’s 6’8” and can handle the ball. He’s very good.

Some of these rankings make you wonder what are these guys looking at.

Yeah, I mean you can’t just look at the rankings. You just have to go out there and perform and that will come.

Let’s say you were the NBA commissioner. What would your solution be with the early-entry issue?

My solution? I just think some of these guys, they go out here, they’re struggling at home, and all of that kind of stuff. I just think if they want to go out of high school, they should be able to go out of high school. If they want to go after one year, two years, whatever.

Capitalism.

I think it’s hard to go out there to perform as super stars and they’re living in bad houses or something like that. It helps people a lot when they can go straight from high school and just show their talent.

I was just curious, I hadn’t asked anybody about that issue on the record in a while, but that'll be a significant issue in the lockout. Can you assess your defense? What type of people are more difficult for you to guard?

Quick guys are more difficult for me to defend, for sure. The more quick guys, the guys built like me.

There aren’t that many of them around.

(laughs) So, with those quick guys, I just try to use my arms and my strength to make them not go as fast.

Last time I spoke with you was, I guess, February. What visits have you taken and what do you have planned?

My latest visit right after we talked was..I took a visit to Arizona. It was a nice experience for me, real close to home. It was like the heat in Vegas. I was talking to Coach Book and Coach Miller and I enjoyed myself. I talked to D Wills or Derek Williams. He was talking to me about how it was to play for Coach Miller and how it’s a great opportunity for me.

Do you have any upcoming visits planned?

No, no upcoming plans after this. I’m just worried about this right now, busting my butt and we’ll see what happens from there.

What are you going to work on in the June down time…between AAU sessions? How are you going to use this time?

Oh, yeah, absolutely..I’m going to work on my game and I’ve also got therapy. Got to work on my game and get ready for July.

The one thing I wanted to touch on was your work ethic. You touched on earlier casually that you put in about three hours of work per day. For the younger members of the audience, talk about your work ethic involved and how you don't simply rely on your physical abilities. Give them a sense of what is necessary to achieve your level of success.

Oh, yeah, absolutely. If you don’t have a work ethic, you’re not going to have a chance in this game. Sometimes, if I’m sleepy or something, that’s why I’m blessed to have the dad that I have. If I’m sleepy or don’t feel like going to the gym, he tells me to wake up and go to the gym. I put in about 3 hours a day and I practice every day.

Is that five days a week for you?

Yeah, that’s five days a week.

In terms of your five official visits, do you plan on doing them all or is that up in the air?

Oh, yeah, I plan on doing that. That’s definitely the plan, the five officials.

After your playing career is over, what are you thinking about doing? Would you like to get into coaching? Would you like to do broadcasting?

Yeah, actually, I’d like to be an analyst. I watch Charles Barkley all of the time.

You come across very well in these interviews. You’re able to think on your feet.

Oh, yeah, I try. I see myself being an analyst after wherever I’m at. That’d be a great opportunity.

Back to work ethic for a second, in order to achieve greatness, what’s driving you? Competitiveness?

It’s both competitiveness and hard work. The reason I work my butt off is because I know that there are some of these guys are working just as hard as me, but I know off the court in this camp, these guys aren’t working as hard as me. They’re not putting in three hours a day. They’re not busting their tail, and even if they are, I’m still doing it and I’m not wasting my time. I’m going to go at them with an attitude that I will achieve success.

I remember talking to your father one time and he was talking about you, your brother, and your sister and your competitiveness. He was saying your competitiveness was even at another level over your sister and how if she had your competitiveness she’d be ranked even higher.

Absolutely, you just have to be competitive. The game is full of competitors and to get to the highest goal, you have to be competitive.

I remember you were a big Kobe guy. He's got that killer instinct.

Absolutely.

In terms of pros, have you ever played against pros and did you hold your own?

Oh, yeah, last summer, I played against Kevin Durant, Derek Rose, and OJ Mayo, Russell Westbrook, Tyreke Evans.

Did you hold your own against those guys?

Oh, yeah, I was holding my own and that was when I was much weaker. I was like 195. So this summer, I plan on sticking with them.

That’s good. When your time is up, what do you hope people will remember about you?

When my time is up, I hope people will remember me as a competitor and try to win as many games as we can and go out with a bang and we’ll go from there.

What’s the best advice that you’ve received so far?

The best advice I’ve received so far is just be humble. It’s a very good thing and just treat everybody the same way you want to be treated. I think that’s a really good deal for both people.

As an interviewer, I really appreciate that.

Oh, yeah. I just think that’s the way people should treat one another. Most of these guys are just stuck up or won’t do interviews. I’m here for everybody.

I really appreciate that. What kind of music do you listen to? I always see you with those earphones. Do you try to get up or calm down?
Oh, no, I like to get up. I prefer rap or hip-hop. Get my adrenaline going and get ready to go to war.

Is it always the same music or do you try to mix it up?

Oh, no, I try to mix it up, but it’s pretty much the same songs.

Do you have to stay disciplined about food at this point or not too much?

Oh, yeah, I do. I have to stay on a diet. I have a personal trainer for my diet regimen so I’m not eating sweets or anything like that. You’ve got to stay disciplined.

You've got all of these highlight videos out there. Is there one play or one dunk that really stands out in your mind?

I just really liked doing the one where I did a windmill dunk off of one foot. In AAU, I've done that one a lot. In high school, I once did a 360 off of a fast break.

Oh, I remember seeing that one. What do you get out of doing Twitter? Building an audience? Communicating with your fans? Give updates, PhenomBalla?

(laughs) Oh, yeah, Phenom15balla. I just try to keep people updated on my Twitter. I'm blessed by everyone who follows me. I just try to talk about basketball and stuff like that. Keep updating.

What about being so heavily left-hand dominant? How do you work on that or combat it?

Yeah, that's a big thing. Most guys when they're guarding me think that I'm right-handed. So, that's a big thing. It helps you get that first step on a lot of guys. It takes them a while to adjust.

When do they figure it out and they play your left hand? How do you try to combat them? What's your counter?

I try to go power left and then go right and that usually helps and, with my improved quickness, it's really helped me.

Now, let's say you're taking on Winston (Shepard) one-on-one. He knows you're going left. He knows your moves and your counters. He's bigger than you and has athleticism. How does he try to defend you?

Oh, yeah, I've been working out with Winston a lot… In my mind, he's the best defensive guy in the country. Hands down. I've played against everybody in my class and he's simply the toughest. He's got a great mix.

I thought he played great again today. He's become more of a complete player.

Oh, yeah, he did. He's playing the quickest that I've ever seen and he's, as you said, become a complete player.

I like that you've been generous in your praise of him.

Oh, yeah, well, he deserves it. We've been battling a lot in practice and I think it's helped both of our games.

And he can almost match your athleticism?

Oh, yeah, he's very athletic and 6'8." He's the real deal.

He's become more active and competitive.

Oh, yeah, he's very competitive too.

Lastly, Shabazz or Bazz, which do you prefer? I feel so formal calling you Shabazz all of the time.

Oh, yeah, well, either one is fine. Everybody usually calls me "Bazz" because Shabazz is kind of long, but I don't mind it. I like it. I just go with it.

Thank you very much.

Oh, yeah, sure, absolutely. [/private]