Shabazz Muhammad Diary: Package Deals and Christmas Lists
Words. Shabazz Muhammad
Shabazz Muhammad (photo. Matt Scott)
Few players, if any, had as productive a summer as Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, NV) shooting guard Shabazz Muhammad — evidenced by his 32 ppg scoring average on the AAU scene. Now every school from North Carolina to Memphis to Duke is in hot pursuit, making for one of the most intriguing recruiting stories in the country.
Muhammad, a junior who is ranked No. 8 in the HSH National Top 50, has agreed to give us exclusive access by chronicling his thoughts in this regular diary where he’ll keep everyone updated on his high school season and the recruiting process:
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What’s up world! It’s been a little while since my last diary. Sorry about that, I’ve just been busy getting ready for the season.
Since my last diary I took a visit to North Carolina for “Late Night with Roy” and that was a great experience. Just hanging out with Harrison Barnes and talking with Coach Roy Williams was great. It was basically a lot of reinforcement. Seeing the arena when it’s all filled was crazy! Those fans were going crazy when the players were in layup lines, so I know during a game they get really crazy!
Coach Williams pulled me into his office and showed me footage of Danny Green and Wayne Ellington and just how free that offense is and how the guards can really get off in it.
I got a chance to hang out with L.J. Rose (Second Baptist, TX) and P.J. Hairston (Hargrave Military, VA). It was my first time meeting L.J., so that was pretty cool.
While I was there, Harrison Barnes and John Henson were recruiting me pretty hard, and just to have players like that wanting me to come and play with them is a blessing.
I haven’t taken anymore visits since then. Like I said, I’m just getting ready for this season. We open on Dec. 10, so I’m really excited about that. I’ve definitely put in a lot of work to get ready for this season. I know that a lot of the teams are gonna be focused on me this year. They did that last year too, but this is the first time we’ll play a national schedule. We’ve got to really represent and raise our level every game because if we don’t we’re gonna get embarrassed, and I’m not trying to be embarrassed.
I still haven’t cut my list of colleges down, but I think I’ll cut it down after the season starts. I want to get it down to five or seven schools. Right now there are just too many schools on my list. I’ve got some schools that I don’t really like on the list so I think it’s important for me to get it down to a smaller number. That way I can focus on it a little more.
Right now the schools that keep in touch with me the most are Memphis, North Carolina, Duke, Kentucky and a few others. It helps that coaches are still allowed to get in touch with us through Facebook because they can message us when we’re online and see what’s going on with us and things like that. Most of the schools on my list are my friends on Facebook.
I definitely plan to check out the teams that are recruiting me now that the college season has started. I want to see their styles and especially how they use their guards. I haven’t got a chance to see Duke’s all-access show on ESPN, but my mom taped it for me on TiVo, so I’m definitely looking forward to watching that.
Of course the Early Signing Period is here and I was looking at all the guys like Austin Rivers (Winter Park, FL) and Quinn Cook (Oak Hill Academy, VA) and all those guys signing, and I look forward to the day that I’m done with the whole process. But I know that I’m not ready to be at that point, and I’m just enjoying the process. It’s a real blessing to have all of these schools recruiting me.
I definitely have been talking to my man Rodney Purvis (Upper Room Christian, NC) a lot about college and now that we’re in the same graduating class, we’ve been talking more and more about playing together in college. We talk about being a dynamic duo in college and how well we play off of each other. He can play the one or the two in college, so we just talk about sharing the backcourt. Rodney reminds me of a Dwyane Wade/John Wall type and that’s just crazy!
I know that a lot of people talk about going to school together and a lot of times it doesn’t happen, but I think it’s really likely for us. We’ve been talking a lot and texting all the time about it. We’re just trying to figure out what college would fit both of us and are recruiting us equally hard. We talk about schools like Memphis, Duke, Kentucky, Texas and UNLV. So we’re definitely looking at that option very seriously.
Other than me and Rodney talking, Jabari Brown (Oakland, CA) has really been recruiting me hard too. He wants me to put Oregon on my list now that he’s headed there. I might just do that. We have a tournament there this year and so I’m gonna talk to the coaches and see what the campus is like when we go there.
Other than that, of course Christmas is right around the corner and even though I don’t do the whole Christmas tree and decorations thing, I DO open presents. I think I’ll probably get an iPad and some money this year.
Well, that’s all for now. Thanks for reading and definitely check back for my next entry!
* Follow Muhammad @Phenom15balla
* Follow High School Hoop on Twitter @HighSchoolHoop
Don’t come to unc you suck
Was this a threat from “Roy Williams”?
as in:
[If you] Don’t come to unc you suck.
After their opening tournament of 2010-2011
it should read:
Come to unc [if you] Don’t suck.
because with a team without leadership who is just trying to figure out there team chemistry:
UNC is biting it hard and they suck.
How would they play Shabazz Muhammad when they have so many guards who don’t look ready to play professional basketball yet. Larry Drew II, Leslie MacDonald, Dexter Strickland, Reggie Bullock,
not to mention LJ Rose and PJ Hairston already taking up commitments for the Tarheels.
I don’t see how Shabazz would get a lot of playing time with a long waitlist like this.
Shabazz come on down brother!
Yo Shabazz,
did you catch the Celtics vs. Heat game tonight?
I have to admit that I believe Lebron James, Chris Bosh, and Dwayne Wade have only just started to reach the potential they have as a starting core for a team. Right now, they’re dealing with a lot of media hate and being scrutinized every game. I really enjoyed watching these guys play for Team USA in the 2008 Olympics but right now they’re not the most popular trio in the NBA because of how things went down. Still, Sir Charles B made a good point about how competitors should relish the animosity and hate when you’re expected to be the best. The HEAT just ran into a dominant Celtics team that’s been playing together as a team for longer and have built chemistry and trust over the past 3-4 years even with the new pieces they’ve added this year. Rajan Rondo and Ray Allen were killing it this game.
I really enjoy reading your recruiting updates and I’m glad to hear you want to develop your game in the NCAA before professional ball.
Under Coach Mike Kryzewkski, you’ll be in the national spotlight with most people in the country wanting an upset and expecting to see you lose. You might as well used to the pressure and let it fuel you like it fueled Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, and Isaiah Thomas. It’s not easy being #1 or dominant because you have to prove yourself night in and night out. You want teammates who can get your back and want to see you succeed for the benefit of the team. This is why what the Celtics have is special. They’re an experienced (although aging) team with great pieces, veteran leadership, and they’re still hungry for another championship.
It looks like in addition to Austin Rivers, Quinn cook, and MP3, Duke is offering both you and Rodney Purvis scholarships for 2012. If both Kyrie Irving and Austin Rivers end up being one and done, Rodney Purvis may get the chance to start at point with you and Quinn Cook as guards. You’ve got a lot of options with MP3, Hairston, Ryan Kelly, Michael Gbinije, etc.
Sounds like a deep team poised for long run in the NCAA tournament.
Yo even John Wall, Derrick Rose, Carlos Boozer, Chauncey Billups, Jason Kidd, Carmelo Anthony and Kobe Bryant respect Coach K. He helps raise your confidence and leads great players to play on championship-calibre teams.
Let us know what you think about Duke’s all-access
ESPN show.
I hope your ankle is healing up nicely. Stay humble and hungry Shabazz…
UNC BABY, lets do dis bazz..
Really? LOL. Really?
Looks liks Bazz is checking out Memphis, UNLV, Texas, Duke, and Kentucky so he and Rodney Purvis could play NCAA college ball together. Kinda reminds me of the way Deuce Bello and Quincy Miller worked with recruiting so they can go to college together. oh wait.. that was UNLV and UNC… that’s right I guess UNC BABY was not on the list of schools.
Keep up with entries Shabazz Muhammad and don’t let these fools who only want to use you to “rescue” their schools’ program keep you from your plans.
Do you still play Madden and 2k11 Bazz?
Hit me up sometime dude.
It’s all about Calipari for guards.
It’s all about National Championships for Coach K!!!!! GO DUKE!!!!!
hahahahahh so true ^^^^^^^^
Yo Diables,
Did you watch “How to catch a predator” tonight?
I have to admit that all of those guys on that show think they have some kind of special relationship with the kids that they are stalking but then they show up at the house and boom! TV cameras.
I’m all about Duke but wow that is a creepy pitch you just threw at a high school kid. I was waiting for that line from Stan by Eminem… Hit me back, just to chat, truly yours, your biggest fan, this is Stan.
I’ve said this before but I believe most of these kids go to the highest bidder. It’s going to be tough for a program to come up with enough “incentives” to land both Shabazz and Purvis. I think Duke is in it and from a basketball perspective, it clearly makes the most sense for both kids. However, Memphis is desperate to stay relevant after Teflon John Cal left town so they’ll probably be willing to outbid anyone. Duke is the right choice but Memphis has already paid for 2 big recruiting classes, this could be their 3rd.
JP…. LOL. Do you even play basketball?
I’m just asking the young man if he watched a great NBA game.
I agree with you about Memphis rebuilding and I do believe Louisville is also interested in both Rodney Purvis and Shabazz Muhammad.
He sent tweets about an injury to his ankle and about how someone in his family recorded the ESPNU All-Access special on Duke’s program.
Dude… I’m just a student of the game and I’m just trying to encourage a high school student athlete wherever he goes to college.
Both Shabazz and Rodney have expressed interest in playing together for a team in NCAA basketball. It may not even happen but I’m just throwing out different opportunities for him where he could make it happent. Duke has offered scholarships to both Purvis and Muhammad.
However, Memphis, Louisville, Baylor, all have a good shot at recruiting both of these student athletes.
Get your facts straight and stop hating JP! I have no contact with the young man other than watching him play competitive HS ball in the AAU. Why don’t we keep the responses about his journal entry and less about personal attacks against people who respond… Real Talk.
Hey Shabazz….Don’t let these Duke fans fool you. Do you want to play for a coach who would potentially curse at your mother? Well that’s Coach K.
Here’s an interesting read for you. http://www.sbnation.com/2010/4/2/1398649/duke-final-four-2010-ncaa-tournament
ROFL… that article even gives the disclaimer:
SB Nation’s Andrew Sharp hates Duke, and thinks you should, too. What follows is a completely biased argument for rooting against the Blue Devils this weekend.
Let’s see what REAL athletes and Olympic Champions have to say about Coach K:
Just a couple of quotes about Coach K and Leadership from NBA pros:
Kobe Bryant -
I can’t wait. In high school we had a great relationship and it would have been a great experience for me to go to Duke and play for him there. It didn’t work out that way, but I have the opportunity to play for him here on the USA team.
Kevin Durant -
He’s a great motivator … No matter what, he always tells us that we have to respect our opponents and have to play our hardest and we’ll live with the results. I love a guy like that. For him to say that and try to come out here and win a World Championship speaks volumes to me. He’s such a great coach. It’s an honor to play for him.
Jason Kidd -
The first thing is communication, which he does very well because he likes to teach. He makes things easy because he gives you what he wants to see out there, which makes it easy for a point guard. I think he would do great in the NBA, but we all know that he has a great gig at Duke.
Lebron James -
Getting to know him off the floor means more than anything to me. Everyone knows Coach K as a basketball coach, but not everyone knows how good he is as a person. It’s all about comfort level with me. I feel comfortable around him, and that allows me to open up a little bit more. That’s good for me.
Carlos Boozer –
Absolutely, you can always learn and coach K is a very good teacher. For us, we have to stay aggressive, attack offensively and defensively to win the gold medal. That’s our mindset.
Dwayne Wade -
Like Coach K said, we are all going to check our egos at the door and put them under one umbrella and go out there and try to get it done, because we all want to win.
Truth does not hate. and You “The Truth” are a poser and you’re just posing the opinion of a hater. Please let Shabazz Muhammad make his own decisions just as Austin Rivers, Elliot Williams, Quinn Cook, Michael Gbinije, Olek Czyz, Gerald Herderson, Kyle Singler, Elton Brand, Carlos Boozer, Jay Williams, Mike Dunleavy, Jr., and Nolan Smith ultimately decided what they felt was the best time for their training and education at Duke. Please stop making stuff up cuz it just really sounds desperate.
wow… desperate act of biased hate from a hater who is just mad at the world.
I’m sure you know Coach K so well. You’ve been to all the conversations between the coaches and the parents of Duke basketball players.
Get a life dude and let Shabazz make his own informed decisions. He’s ultimately going to want to play basketball for the team that gives him the best environment and opportunity to play and develop his game.
LoL… walking away laughing at how hard you’re trying to sway a kid who doesn’t care about your opinion.
Louisville emerging as the new favorite for Shabazz? From what ive heard yes, because they started recruiting him first and his ties to assistant coach Tim Fuller.
interesting… Louisville is recruiting Shabazz hard. Not sure if he’ll get to play with Alex Murphy or Rodney Purvis at Louisville but it could be a decent fit for him.
Come to Duke, where they win titles not crapolina where they can’t even win the NIT. Plus they have a goat for a mascot, lol. K is the best coach ever, he’s about to become the all time wins leader soon. Don’t you want to play for a true leader? with players like Austin Rivers and Q.Cook? and all the other elite talent at Duke? If you were to pick unc all you could hope for would be another embarassing season.
Come to Duke, it’s where you belong!!
P.S. that idiot calling himself the truth is a little child, ignore him, he’s a jealous hater.
Now that Purvis has commited to UL, watch for Muhammad to follow. From what I’ve read…Coach Williams and Coach Rat face are after a higher rated player and they might have to show alot of loyalty to that player to get him on campus. Purvis is heading to the state of kentucky to play ball, I expect Muhammad to follow!
Rodney Purvis officially re-opened up his recruitment with all of the things going on at Louisville.