Muhammad signing increases pressure on UCLA, Howland

The headline atop the main page for the UCLA athletics website said it all: “The Future is Here.”

In large part, that is because the nation’s top high school basketball prospect Shabazz Muhammad signed a letter of intent on Wednesday to play for the Bruins next fall, joining an already star-studded recruiting class that is now ranked No. 3 overall by ESPN.

At last, it’s a bit of good news for UCLA, which has missed the NCAA tournament twice in the last three seasons – a turn of events that hasn’t exactly warmed the hearts of many fans and alumni who demand annual success on the hardwood.

“I just think it’s a challenge, knowing how bad they were these last two years,” Muhammad said during a nationally televised announcement on ESPNU. “And it’s a challenge to really get them back up to that, knowing that they’re the leader in championships with 11.”

The Las Vegas native’s words were no doubt bold, but to a large degree, UCLA head coach Ben Howland is faced with the challenge of getting his program back on track toward title No. 12 in spite of the recent struggles.

After all, as Muhammad teams up with two other top-50 recruits in Kyle Anderson and Jordan Adams, this is the best class Howland has had since Kevin Love arrived in Westwood in 2007. The Bruins could also still nab highly-regarded center Tony Parker, who has yet to sign his letter of intent.

“Shabazz Muhammad is the No. 1 player in the country and his signing at UCLA is huge for our program,” Howland said in a statement. “I'm just so excited because he is a great kid that embodies what is needed to be an excellent student-athlete. He brings so many skills to the table.”

He also brings added expectations, especially for Howland.

Mind you, this hasn’t been the easiest year for the ninth-year coach:

A story in the March 5 issue of Sports Illustrated highlighted dysfunction in the UCLA locker room and criticized Howland – to some degree – for a lack of discipline.

“Guys drinking, guys doing drugs, guys not taking practice seriously, guys fighting,” one player told SI. “You won't find that on the Pyramid of Success.”

These latest developments, however, give the program a chance to move on in the wake that negative press. For months, it’s been open season on Howland, but as for a top-five recruiting class, that’s a blessing – at least for now.

It carries some consequences. It means Howland has to win. And he has to win now.

Remember, this is the country’s premier college basketball program. This is where John Wooden earned the nickname the “Wizard of Westwood.”

This is also where some of the sport’s greatest titans -- Lou Alcindor (later Kareem Abdul Jabbar) and Bill Walton -- stepped onto the floor.

Winning is expected, perhaps demanded.

On paper, it appears as if Howland has the talent necessary to do as much. On paper, it appears as if he has the talent needed to ascend to the top of the Pac-12. In fact, it probably wouldn’t be a stretch to call UCLA a Final Four contender for 2013.

All that hype and added pressure, though, leave little room for error.

With a $136 million renovation to iconic Pauley Pavilion and arguably the country’s best recruiting class, Howland doesn’t have forever to turn the program around.

A couple bad seasons can be categorized as nothing more than anomaly. But a continued string of seasons with no invite to the Big Dance means a pink slip might be around the corner.

Following the early departures of forward Tyler Honeycutt and guard Malcolm Lee to the NBA, there were sufficient explanations for UCLA’s struggles last season.

But with Muhammad in the fold, along with a decorated recruiting class and the eligibility of North Carolina transfer Larry Drew II, Howland won’t be able to cite a lack of talent much longer. If anything, he’ll have an abundance of it, so cue the great expectations.

“There’s a lot of bits and pieces that could make it a really great team,” Muhammad said.

And on paper, anyway, he might be right.

Joey Kaufman is a Spring 2012 USA TODAY Collegiate Correspondent. Learn more about him here.

This story originally appeared on the USA TODAY College blog, a news source produced for college students by student journalists. The blog closed in September of 2017.