Shabazz Muhammad conspicuous by his absence on eve of NBA Draft

NEW YORK — In a room of familiar faces, Shabazz Muhammad was nowhere to be found. His VIP spot on the NBA Draft guest list, essentially reserved five years ago, was erased.

Thirteen players were invited to meet with the media Wednesday at The Westin at Times Square, and Muhammad, once considered the nation’s No. 1 high school player in his class, was not one.

“I know Shabazz pretty well,” said Ben McLemore, a freshman guard from Kansas. “I can feel where he’s coming from, with all the publicity and the people criticizing him. He’s a guy who can handle it.”

Muhammad, a former Bishop Gorman and UCLA star, has fallen from grace and likely out of the top 10 in the draft, which begins at 4:30 p.m. PDT today at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

McLemore is among several candidates who could go No. 1 overall to Cleveland, if the Cavaliers keep the pick. The forecast for draft day is cloudy with a chance of trades.

“This draft is up in the air. Nobody knows what’s going to happen,” McLemore said. “I know all you guys are wondering, and that’s how I’m thinking. Who’s going where and who’s going to be the No. 1 pick?”

Three other freshmen — UNLV’s Anthony Bennett, Kentucky’s Nerlens Noel and Maryland’s Alex Len — might wind up as the top pick. Or it could be Georgetown sophomore Otto Porter Jr.

“No one is even sure who should be the No. 1 pick,” ESPN.com draft analyst Chad Ford said. “And while the Cavs have not told me who they’re going to draft No. 1, and I don’t think they’ve told anybody, I’m not even 100 percent sure that they know yet. I think they’re narrowing down and getting close to that decision. Noel has been the guy that’s been on the top of their big board all year.

“Now, could it be Alex Len or Anthony Bennett? I think those are the three players that they’ve narrowed this list down to, perhaps. Butmost of the signals that I read, and it’s a bit of reading the tea leaves right now, point to Noel. I personally think that it’s probably come down to Noel, Len and Bennett. I think you can make the argument for Noel, I think you can make the argument for Bennett, I think you can make the argument for McLemore as far as the big upside guys in this draft.”

No arguments are being made for Muhammad. That notion would have seemed ridiculous a year ago, but now it’s reality.

Muhammad was ranked the nation’s top player in his class throughout most of his four years at Bishop Gorman. But one bad year at UCLA has scarred the shooting guard in the eyes of NBA scouts.

He played well enough at times, leading the Bruins in scoring at 17.9 points per game while shooting 37.7 percent from 3-point range, yet developed a selfish reputation. A high-volume shooter, he totaled 456 field-goal attempts and only 27 assists in 32 games.

Off the court, Muhammad has been shadowed by controversy and character questions. He missed UCLA’s first three games as an NCAA suspension for receiving improper benefits during his recruitment. In March, the Los Angeles Times researched Muhammad’s birth certificate and revealed that he and his dad, Ron Holmes, misrepresented his age and that he is 20, not 19.

More problems are haunting Holmes. In late May, he was ordered held under house arrest pending trial on charges he ran a mortgage scam.

Holmes, 51, pleaded not guilty to bank fraud and conspiracy charges in an indictment alleging he reaped more than $2.5 million using phony information and straw buyers to obtain and sell at least three Las Vegas homes from 2006 to 2009. He is due for trial Aug. 6.

In addition to all of that, Muhammad, who has been listed at 6 feet 6 inches tall, was measured closer to 6-4. So, he’s older and shorter than expected.

“Now, teams in the second half of the draft, even in the 20s, are preparing for the idea Muhammad might slip,” said Ford, who called Muhammad’s draft fall “a bit ridiculous” and an “overreaction.”

For months, Muhammad was considered an option for Sacramento at No. 7 and Minnesota at No. 9.

But on the eve of the draft, it seemed more likely he would drop to Milwaukee at No. 15, Boston at No. 16 or fall even further in the first round.

“Everyone wants to go as high as you can, but if you get the best fit, it doesn’t really matter if you go high,” Muhammad told USA Today. “The criticism is something that I have to deal with. It motivates me a lot.”

McLemore, criticized for his attitude and dedication during predraft workouts, has heard he could go anywhere from No. 1 to eighth overall.

“It doesn’t bother me at all,” McLemore said. “I’m just enjoying this moment, talking to you guys and having fun being here.”

That’s something Muhammad never got a chance to say.

Contact reporter Matt Youmans at myoumans@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2907. Follow him on Twitter: @mattyoumans247.