Gorman’s Muhammad moves to head of class
It's not easy for teenagers to be put under a media microscope, whether they are actors, athletes or singers. Shabazz Muhammad does not act or sing, to our knowledge, but he plays basketball better than anyone his age.
A 6-foot-6-inch swingman from Bishop Gorman High School, Muhammad recently moved up to the No. 1 spot in the Rivals.com rankings for the class of 2012.
"Muhammad has certainly passed through the gauntlet of scrutiny," said Jerry Meyer, a Rivals.com national analyst. "Over time, he has answered all the questions about his game and continues to improve."
It won't be easy for UNLV coach Dave Rice and his staff to get a commitment from Muhammad, who has almost as many fans as Justin Bieber. But Bieber's fans are teenage girls, and Muhammad is being pursued by high-profile college coaches.
The Rebels are on Muhammad's long list of finalists along with Duke, North Carolina, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisville, Memphis, Texas, Arizona and UCLA.
The odds are stacked against Rice. But as Bieber would sing, "Never Say Never."
■ BIG-NAME PLAYERS -- Three seniors from Bishop Gorman are on the Rivals top 150 list, including forwards Rosco Allen (75) and Ben Carter (121). Findlay Prep's Anthony Bennett, a 6-7 power forward, is ranked No. 7. All of those prospects are considering UNLV.
But the Rebels are not in the running for the 58th-ranked player, Chicken Knowles from Houston.
That was worth mentioning only because his name is Chicken. The 6-9 forward is a wing player.
■ KOBE TAKES A KNEE -- Injuries are starting to wear on Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, so he'll try anything to improve the condition of his right knee. Bryant underwent an experimental procedure -- platelet-rich plasma therapy -- last month in Germany.
It's not the first time Bryant has sought an odd remedy for his knee. Maybe the results will be better this time.
In the summer of 2003, he went to Eagle, Colo., for surgery but got slightly distracted, making his knee the least of his problems.
■ ANOTHER PARTY IN MIAMI -- The NBA lockout means no contact between team personnel and its players, but the league made an exception and granted Miami Heat staff special access to Chris Bosh's upcoming wedding.
LeBron James and Dwyane Wade are planning dancing and fireworks for the reception, and a Heat player is getting a ring this summer after all.
■ NOT SO HOT -- Joey "Jaws" Chestnut put down 62 hot dogs to win his fifth consecutive Fourth of July hot dog eating contest at New York's Coney Island. But Chestnut fell far short of his record of 68.
It's a sign of the times.
Tiger Woods is shrinking, home runs are way down in baseball, and now competitive eating conspiracy theorists are saying Chestnut might have been on performance-enhancing drugs when he set the record.
COMPILED BY MATT YOUMANS
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
