Muhammad: Bruins 'gotta win' against Arizona

After helping UCLA get its season on track, freshman guard Shabazz Muhammad has struggled during the Bruins' past four games, shooting just 40 percent. JAE C. HONG, AP

Muhammad: Bruins 'gotta win' against Arizona


UCLA needs a big game from the freshman and better rebounding to beat the Wildcats

By RYAN KARTJE

ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Published: Jan. 23, 2013 Updated: 10:50 p.m.

 

LOS ANGELES – Shabazz Muhammad wouldn't mince any words Tuesday, faced with questions of whether UCLA overlooked Oregon last Thursday, whether the Ducks wanted it more, and whether the Bruins might be a step behind in the Pac-12 title race.

Eyes have been on Muhammad for a long time now; he's no stranger to the spotlight and the pressure that comes with it. So the former No. 1 recruit in the country understands the weight of important games such as Thursday's matchup with Arizona, especially after a loss to the Ducks, who are now in the driver's seat for the conference's regular season title.

Thursday is a must-win game, he told reporters. And he was going to take it upon himself to win it.
"We've gotta win, no questions asked," Muhammad said.

It was as straightforward as the young freshman has been when talking about an upcoming opponent. He didn't talk many more specifics about what he expected from Arizona, stopping only briefly to talk about his team's lackluster effort against Oregon.

"They wanted it more," he said of the Ducks, while his eyes suggested that he wouldn't let the next game slip from his grasp so easily.

Muhammad certainly hasn't been the same player that scored 21 or more points per game for four consecutive games and turned around UCLA's offense in one fell swoop. In his past four games, he has been woefully inconsistent, collecting just six points in a stinker against Utah and shooting a mediocre 40 percent from the floor in that span. Against Oregon, he was silenced in the second half and finished 0 for 4 from the field in the game's final 20 minutes.

But on Thursday in Tucson, Muhammad and the Bruins can take a step forward without missing much of a beat in the conference title hunt. Granted, that'll require a victory at McKale Center, where no team has beaten the Wildcats since January of last year.

A victory would also require a significant improvement on the boards, where UCLA coach Ben Howland has focused the lion's share of his team's practice time this week. After being outmuscled by Oregon on the inside last week, a bounce-back performance on the glass is a must, given the fact Arizona is ranked higher than the Ducks in rebounding margin (both are in the top 10 nationally).

If Muhammad's confidence equates to more effort on the glass and elsewhere, the Bruins could have an advantage offensively, especially if the Wildcats try to keep the pace up, playing into UCLA's excellent transition game. With a significantly larger frontcourt anchoring the middle for Arizona, that kind of game might be UCLA's only chance.

Don't tell that to Travis Wear though, who might be the only UCLA player carrying more pressure on his shoulders than Muhammad. And like Muhammad, he didn't mince words when he talked about Thursday's game. He and his teammates are still "(ticked) off" about the Oregon game, he said.

Wear hasn't forgotten the last time the Bruins needed a victory – head to head with No. 7 Missouri on their home court. With Wear as a catalyst, playing one of the best games of his career, UCLA upset the Tigers and turned its season in a new direction.

"We've got to get this win," Wear said. "This is virtually a must-win for us. After losing to Oregon, we need to bounce back. ... We need to pick up two on the road. ... This is a big week for us."


Contact the writer: rkartje@ocregister.com