Coming into the season, expectations expectedly skyrocketed for the UCLA Bruins basketball team as Coach Ben Howland brought in the No. 1 recruiting class in the country with Shabazz Muhammad, Kyle Anderson, Tony Parker and Jordan Adams. He squad won their first three outings without Muhammad, but then lost three of the next five as the standout guard got up to speed. Since then, Muhammad has gained his bearings and more than lived up to the hype by leading the Bruins to win victories in their last nine games and an overall record of 14-3. Many thought that the 6’6” guard was snubbed by not being named to the 2012-2013 Wooden Award top 25, and there is plenty to back up that theory as he is red hot and posting 18.2 points and 4.9 rebounds per game. It also helps UCLA that other standout freshmen like Adams are putting up 16.4 points, while Anderson averages 9.5 ppg and 8.9 rebounds.
The Bruins lead the Pac-12 and the chance to crack the top 25 and earn a high seed in the 2013 NCAA Tournament is still very well within the realm of possibility if they play their cards right. They have plenty of upcoming matchups against top teams on the schedule, including a January 19th game against the No. 21 Oregon Ducks, followed by a trip to the McKale Center to face the No. 7 Arizona Wildcats on January 24th. They also have to match up against tough squads like Washington and Arizona State, so make sure to claim your UCLA Bruins tickets today to see Muhammad and the crew do show the nation what they’ve got in hopes to cut down the nets come March.
