If there were two players who raised their NBA draft stock, it had to be Michigan’s Aday Mara and Connecticut’s Tarris Reed Jr.

Mara, a 7-foot-3 center from Saragoza, Spain, was a huge reason why the Wolverines captured their first men’s NCAA tournament title since 1989. His presence in the paint, particularly on defense, allowed Michigan defenders to stay home on shooters and his guard-like skills afforded Michigan head coach Dusty May another playmaker on the court to go with point guard Elliott Cadeau and Yaxel Lendeborg.

The 21-year-old Mara was projected to be a late first- or early second-round pick, but after his impressive performances in the NCAA tournament, some mock drafts elevated him in the top 20 of the first round.

The other center who elevated his draft stock was UConn’s Reed Jr. The 6-11, 265-pound burly big man — who spent his first two college seasons at Ann Arbor, Mich. — was the driving force behind the Huskies’ run to the national championship game where they lost to Mara’s Wolverines.

Projected to be late second-round pick in the draft, Reed, who turns 23 in August, has completely flipped his draft status and could hear his name called in the first round.

A closer look at Reed and Mara.

Tarris Reed Jr., 22, senior, center, UConn
Reed averaged a double-double during March Madness, posting averages of 19.5 points and 13.1 rebounds while shooting 54.4% from the field. During the regular season, Reed posted 14.8 points and 8.8 rebounds per game.

His tournament run was highlighted by a historic 31-poing, 27-rebound effort in the first round against Furman. Reed became the first men’s college player in 58 years to achieve a 30-25 stat line in the NCAA tournament. Elvin Hayes was the last player to pull off the 30-25 feat, doing in twice in 1968. Reed was also the first player since Bill Walton in 1972 to record a 30-point, 20-rebound game while shooting over 80% from the field.

In a highly anticipated matchup against AP and Naismith player of the year Cameron Boozer of Duke in the Elite Eight, Reed more than held his own, scoring 26 points and grabbing nine rebounds with four blocks and two steals.

PFSN’s Alex Kennedy wrote: “Tarris Reed Jr.’s NCAA Tournament run has been nothing short of spectacular. The UConn Huskies star has turned March Madness into his coming-out party.”

Kennedy added: “After transferring from the Michigan Wolverines, Reed has maximized his potential under UConn head coach Dan Hurley while taking on more responsibility.

And yet, Reed’s NBA draft projection is a bit complicated. He’ll be 23 years old in August, and his game does not stretch beyond the arc in a league where that’s now extremely important. He’s currently the No. 55-ranked prospect in PFSN’s NBA Mock Draft Simulator, and ESPN ranks him as the 63rd-best prospect on their 2026 NBA Draft big board, meaning there’s a chance he doesn’t even get drafted.”

Reed struggled a bit against Mara and Michigan in the national championship game, but still put up a decent stat line. He finished with 13 points on 4-of-12 shooting from the field and grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds.

Aday Mara, 21, junior, center, Michigan
In the national championship game against UConn, Mara contributed eight points, four rebounds, one assist, one steal, and one block in 30 minutes. More importantly, he provided an inside presence that made life difficult for UConn’s Reed.

“He probably won’t go in the first 10 [NBA draft picks], but in five years [NBA teams] will be like, ‘I probably wish I had taken Mara,’” former Michigan coach John Beilein told the New York Times.

Through five games in the 2026 NCAA tournament, Michigan center Aday Mara is averaging 16.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 2.6 blocks per game.

The 7-3 junior center has been a focal point of Michigan’s run to the national championship game in Indianapolis. He saved his best in the Final Four as he pumped in a career-high 26 points on 11-of-16 shooting from the field in a 91-73 blowout win over Arizona. Mara was on the receiving end of several nifty lob dunks, which he triggered with some old fashioned screen-and-rolls.

Mara’s outstanding performance on both ends overcame the partial absence of All-American forward Yaxel Lendeborg, who injured his knee and ankle in the first half and was never himself the rest of the game. With Lendeborg hobbled, Mara stepped up and became the focal point of Michigan’s inside attack. His length bothered Arizona’s frontcourt players, including freshman star Koa Peat, who had to earn all 16 of his points on 6-of-18 shooting from the field.

Mara left UCLA for Michigan in April 2025 primarily due to a desire for more playing time and frustration over not achieving his personal, high expectations during his two seasons in Westwood under UCLA head coach Mick Cronin. Despite enjoying his time at UCLA, Mara felt his development was stalled and sought a better fit for his skill set under Coach Dusty May.

“I had expectations when I came here that I didn’t achieve… so I took the decision to go to Michigan to try to meet all the expectations,” Mara said.

He felt Michigan offered a better system for his, specifically looking at how Coach Dusty May uses big men. May had success with Vlad Goldin and Danny Wolf (both seven footers), and Mara joked that he saw both up close and personal as a sophomore — from the UCLA bench.

USA Today’s Bryan Kalbrosky thinks Mara jumped into the middle of the first round with his March Madness performance.

Kalbosky said: “After leading his team to the collegiate national championship game, Michigan center Aday Mara became one of the prospects who helped himself the most during March Madness. The 7-foot-3 big man, who transferred from UCLA, is a fantastic rim protector. Opponents only attempted 20.9 percent of their field goals at the rim when the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year was on the court, per CBB Analytics, which ranks near lowest among all NCAA players. He can also pass well, finding some awesome outlet looks in transition and at the rim. Especially in short spurts, Mara would make an excellent backup to Victor Wembanyama.”

Mark Few is widely regarded as one of the best coaches in college basketball. His resume speaks for itself. He has an incredible .830 winning percentage and has led Gonzaga to the national championship game in 2017 and 2021. His program has produced five first-team All-Americans (Dan Dickau, Adam Morrison, Kelly Olynyk, Nigel Williams-Goss, Rui Hachimura) and several NBA standouts (Ronny Turiaf, Domantas Sabonis, Zach Collins, Brandon Clarke, Corey Kispert, and Jalen Suggs).

The only thing missing on Few’s resume is an NCAA championship plaque.

There are three major ingredients in order to win the NCAA tournament.

You must have a first-round NBA talent on your roster.

You need experienced guards.

You must be able to defend at a high level.

Few’s 2022 Bulldogs team checks all three of those boxes. They have a potential No. 1 pick in 7-foot center Chet Holmgren, and All-American forward Drew Timme is one of the best low-post players in college basketball. Point guard Andrew Nembhard is a senior guard who was on last season’s Bulldogs squad that came within one game of completing an undefeated season.

Gonzaga enters the 2022 NCAA Tournament as a No. 1 overall seed and the top-seeded team in the West Regional. The Zags are the betting favorites (somewhere between +300 to +350 on various betting sites) to cut down the nets and enjoy their one shining moment. Here are the four teams OMFB projects will reach the Final Four in New Orleans.

Gonzaga — Aside from having the top offense in the nation, the Bulldogs are also a top-notch defensive unit. Anchored by Holmgren in the middle, the Bulldogs make it difficult to score in the paint. Their offensive efficiency keeps them from having to scramble defensively. NBA scouts are giddy over Holmgren’s potential matchups against other projected lottery picks in the West regional. Holmgren could potentially see Memphis’ Jalen Duren in the second round and he could have a rematch with Paolo Banchero of Duke in the regional final. Holmgren and Banchero went head-to-head Nov. 26 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The Blue Devils won the game, 84-81, and Banchero outscored Holmgren 21-16. the stakes will be even higher if Holmgren and Banchero meet again. On the line for the top-seeded Bulldogs and the second-seeded Blue Devils is a berth in the Final Four in legendary college basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski’s final NCAA tournament.

UCLA — Around this time last year, the Bruins had to play their way into the NCAA tournament. Once they secured a spot in the 64-team field, the Bruins went on a phenomenal run that culminated in a trip to the Final Four and it took a miraculous half-court heave from Jalen Suggs in overtime to knock them out. This season, head coach Mick Cronin brought back the core of his Final Four team led by Pac-12 all-conference first-teamers Tyger Campbell, Jaime Jaquez, and Johnny Juzang. Juzang caught fire in last year’s tournament, and the Bruins Juzang can recapture that same shooting stroke. UCLA is among the leaders in the nation in offensive and defensive efficiency, and it has four quality wins (Arizona, Villanova, Marquette, USC). Campbell controls the pace, Juzang and Jules Bernard provide most of the offensive punch, and Jaquez is the team’s heart and soul. UCLA feels it has some unfinished business and anything less than another Final Four trip would be considered a disappointment in Westwood.

Arizona — The Wildcats started the season unranked and finished the regular season 31-3, and won the Pac-12 regular-season title and tournament title. First-year head coach Tommy Lloyd was an assistant under Few for two decades and he brought with him Gonzaga’s winning culture to Tucson, Ariz. Lloyd’s Wildcats are loaded with NBA prospects, led by Pac-12 player of the year Bennedict Mathurin. Arizona also boasts one of the tallest team’s in college basketball, a frontcourt anchored by 7-1 junior center and Christian Koloko. When Koloko goes to the bench, the Wildcats insert 7-footer Oumar Ballo. When Azuolas Tubelis is on his game, Arizona is nearly unbeatable. The 6-11 Lithuanian native is one of the most versatile forwards in the nation. The one concern for the Wildcats is the injury to point guard Kerr Kriisa. The sophomore point guard injured his ankle in the Pac-12 tournament.

Wisconsin — The Badgers will attempt to erase the stain of the Big Ten’s failures in last season’s tournament. Nine Big Ten teams competed in the 2021 March Madness. The conference finished with an 8-9 record. This season, the Big Ten has nine teams again in the Big Dance. The conference will have extra motivation to do better than eight wins in 2022. When coach Greg Gard is not sticking a finger on the chest of Juwan Howard, he’s usually a steady hand on the sidelines. Gard has one major concern heading into the tournament. Big Ten player of the year and first-team All-American guard Johnny Davis hurt his ankle on March 9 and didn’t look particularly good against Michigan State in the conference tournament. If Davis is not 100%, the Badgers could have some trouble getting past the Sweet 16. But if Davis’ ankle holds up and he’s anything close to the player who scored 25 points or more in nine games, the Badgers could be booking a trip to New Orleans.

NCAA championship: Gonzaga will battle Arizona in the title game. In a battle of the two best offensive teams in the nation, Few will beat his former assistant Lloyd and finally get the monkey off his back. Zags win, 83-81.

Jaime Jaquez, Tyger Campbell and Johnny Juzang led UCLA to the 2021 Final Four. (Getty Images)

It took one of the all-time great Final Four buzzer-beaters to eliminate the UCLA men’s basketball from the 2021 NCAA tournament. Jalen Suggs’ near-halfcourt bank shot in overtime lifted top-seeded Gonzaga to a 93-90 victory over 11th-seeded UCLA in the national semifinals. Suggs’ “banked robbery” (a great headline from the Los Angeles Times) ended one of the greatest tournament runs in recent memory. Basketball pundits were shocked how far the Bruins went in March Madness.

But was it really that shocking? If you ask the majority of experts, it was. But if you look under the hood, it should have been expected.

UCLA made the Final Four after beginning the tournament in the First Four, becoming the second team to do so. Tyger Campbell, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Johnny Juzang became instant March Madness stars. The Pac-12 put four teams in the Sweet 16, and three reached the Elite Eight. Those teams finished with 11 more wins than the seeds would have projected. Oregon State, USC and UCLA advanced to the regional finals. USC — led by potential 2021 NBA lottery pick Evan Mobley — eliminated Oregon in the Sweet 16.

The Big Ten, on the other hand, had one of the all-time faceplants by a conference. Rarely has a league been so well-positioned to have a big tournament, yet it still fell flat. Of the five teams seeded to make the Sweet 16, only one advanced to that round. Good performances by the lower-seeded teams in the Big Ten helped to save a little face. Still, Big Ten teams won eight fewer games than expected. The Big Ten is now the first league to put more than seven teams in the tournament and finish below .500.

It was not a great year for the ACC, either, which got two wins each from Florida State and Syracuse but saw the other five teams lose in the first round. The league’s 4-7 mark ties the Pac-12 in 2016 for the worst record for a conference with at least seven teams in the tournament. Despite that poor performance, the ACC kept alive its streak of putting at least one team in the Sweet 16 every year since 1980. The second-longest such streak belongs to the Big 12, which goes back to 1999.

For the third year in a row, Kentucky and Duke have the most active players around the NBA. From the opening day rosters in the 2020-21 season, Kentucky led the way with 32 players on NBA rosters followed by Duke at 29. The next-best college program was North Carolina with 13. Yes, the ACC and SEC still dominate the league when it comes to producing NBA talent. But the Pac-12 is on par with the conference blue bloods in terms of being a pipeline for the NBA. And you can make a strong case that the Conference of Champions (as Bill Walton likes to refer to it) is just as good if not better than the SEC or the ACC at producing NBA All-Star talent.

Here are some notable active NBA players and which conferences and schools they came from.

Pac-12 — James Harden (Arizona State), Klay Thompson (Washington State), DeMarr DeRozan (USC), Nikola Vucevic (USC),Russell Westbrook (UCLA), Jrue Holiday (UCLA), (Zach LaVine) (UCLA), Trevor Ariza (UCLA), Kyle Anderson (UCLA), Norman Powell (UCLA), Kyle Kuzma (Utah), Kevin Love (UCLA), Brook Lopez (Stanford), Deandre Ayton (Arizona), Lauri Markkanen (Arizona), Aaron Gordon (Arizona), Andre Iguodala (Arizona), Jaylen Brown (Cal), Dillon Brooks (Oregon), Chris Boucher (Oregon), Dejounte Murray (Washington), Matisse Thybulle (Washington).

SEC  – Jamal Murray (Kentucky), Devin Booker (Kentucky), Anthony Davis (Kentucky), Kark-Anthony Towns (Kentucky), Bam Adebayo (Kentucky), Julius Randle (Kentucky), De’Aaron Fox (Kentucky), Julius Randle (Kentucky), Tyler Herro (Kentucky), John Wall (Kentucky), Demarcus Cousins (Kentucky),  Enes Kanter (Kentucky), Keldon Johnson (Kentucky), P.J. Washington (Kentucky), Rajon Rondo (Kentucky), Collin Sexton (Alabama), Bradley Beal (Florida), Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (Georgia), Jordan Clarkson (Missouri), Michael Porter Jr. (Missouri), Tobias Harris (Tennessee), Ben Simmons (LSU).

ACC – Kyrie Irving (Duke), Jayson Tatum (Duke), J.J. Redick (Duke), Brandon Ingram (Duke), Zion Williamson (Duke), R.J. Barrett (Duke), Grayson Allen (Duke), Seth Curry (Duke), Gary Trent Jr. (Duke), Luke Kennard (Duke), Mason Plumlee (Duke), Wendell Carter (Duke), Tre Jones (Duke), Tyus Jones (Duke), Harrison Barnes (North Carolina), Cole Anthony (North Carolina), Danny Green (North Carolina), Cam Johnson (North Carolina), Malik Beasley (Florida State), Patrick Williams (Florida State), Malcolm Brogdon (Virginia), De’Andre Hunter (Virginia), Joe Harris (Virginia), Carmelo Anthony (Syracuse), Montrezl Harrell (Louisville), Terry Rozier (Louisville), Donovan Mitchell (Louisville).

Big 12 – Joel Embiid (Kansas), Andrew Wiggins (Kansas), Kelly Oubre Jr. (Kansas), Marcus Morris (Kansas), Markief Morris (Kansas), Devonte Graham (Kansas), Royce O’Neal (Baylor), Marcus Smart (Oklahoma State), Trae Young (Oklahoma), Blake Griffin (Oklahoma), Buddy Hield (Okahoma), Talen Horton-Tucker (Iowa State), Tyrese Halliburton (Iowa State), Monte Morris (Iowa State), Kevin Durant (Texas), Myles Turner (Texas), P.J. Tucker (Texas), Tristan Thompson (Texas), D.J. Augustin (Texas), DeAndre Jordan (Texas A&M), Khris Middleton (Texas A&M).

Big Ten – Draymond Green (Michigan State), Miles Bridges (Michigan State), Jaren Jackson Jr. (Michigan State), Gary Harris (Michigan State), OG Anunoby (Indiana), Victor Oladipo (Indiana), Eric Gordon (Indiana), Cody Zeller (Indiana), Thomas Bryant (Indiana), D’Angelo Russell (Ohio State), Mike Conley (Ohio State), Trey Burke (Michigan), Tim Hardaway Jr. (Michigan), Caris LeVert (Michigan), Duncan Robinson (Michigan), Kevin Huerter (Maryland), Frank Kaminsky (Wisconsin).

Matt Barnes has played for eight teams in nine seasons. (GETTY IMAGES)

Matt Barnes is staying in Los Angeles, but it won’t be with the Lakers. He is crossing the hallway at Staples Center to play for the Clippers after agreeing to a one-year deal with the other team  in the City of Angels.

Barnes, who is 32 years old, started his career with the Clippers. He played for the Clippers in 2003-04, averaging 4.5 points per game. The former UCLA standout has played for eight teams in nine seasons: the Clippers, Sacramento Kings, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, Golden State Warriors, Phoenix Suns, Orlando Magic and the Lakers for the last 2 seasons.

He has a reputation as a solid defender and decent scorer off the bench. He led the L.A. bench with 7.8 points per game and averaged 9.7 points over the final 10 games of the 2011-12 regular season.

But his play on the court has often been overshadowed by his reputation off the court. This summer, he was arrested in Manhattan Beach for a misdemeanor traffic ticket (driving with a suspended license) and threatening a police officer. He was arrested in 2010 on an alleged domestic violence incident, but was never prosecuted.

On the court, he has been called a dirty player for incidents ranging from throwing punches to slinging assistant coaches to the floor. But, apparently it didn’t detract the Clippers from signing him.

Darren Jacks is a contributor to OneManFastBreak.net. Send him an email at djroxalot@hotmail.com.

Reggie Miller played his entire 18-year NBA career with the Indiana Pacers. (GETTY IMAGES)

Basketball is king in the state of Indiana and Reggie Miller is the undisputed prince of the Pacers.

Very few basketball studs play their entire careers with one team, and Miller was blessed to play his entire 18-year NBA career with the Indiana Pacers. He was the 11th overall pick in the 1987 draft, but the selection was greeted with some pessimism because Pacers fans wanted Indiana schoolboy legend and Indiana University All-American Steve Alford. But it didn’t take long before Miller, who grew up in Riverside, Calif., and attended UCLA, won over the hearts of Indiana fanatics.

Miller is one of the 12 newest members of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and to honor his induction into basketball royalty in 2012, OneManFastbreak.net ranks his five greatest moments:

5-MILLER TIME IN OVERTIME

Even though he was approaching the twilight of his career, Miller proved he could still raise his game in the biggest of stages during the 2002 NBA playoffs. The No. 8-seeded Pacers stretched the top-seeded Nets to five games in the first round, and Miller was at his absolute best in Game 5. He sent the game into overtime with an improbable turnaround bank shot from behind the 3-point line and sent the game into a second overtime with a driving dunk (and Miller rarely drove to the basket) past Kerry Kittles. The Nets eventually won the game and advanced to the NBA Finals, but Miller carved out another special playoff performance.

4-PUSHES JORDAN, BULLS TO THE LIMIT

Reggie Miller gets away with a shove on Michael Jordan in the 1998 Eastern Conference playoffs.

Reggie made 2,500 threes throughout his illustrious career, but none bigger than the one he hit in Game 4 of the 1998 playoffs against Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. The play began with Miller running Ron Harper through a screen. Once he got free at the top of the key he saw Jordan and brushed him off with an obvious shove. Miller admitted it was an offensive foul, and he was just as surprised a foul wasn’t called. That non-call greatly benefited the Pacers as Miller got a clean look and buried a clutch game-winning 3-pointer. The Pacers extended the Bulls to the fullest, only to lose in seven games. However, Jordan certainly got a little dose of his own medicine in the hard-fought series.

3-DROPS 57 POINTS VS. HORNETS

The highest scoring game of Miller’s NBA career occurred on Nov. 28, 1982, when he dropped 57 points on the Charlotte Hornets to set the Pacers’ all-time franchise record. Reggie put on a show at Charlotte Coliseum, abusing Hornets guard Dell Curry for most of the night. Pacers announcer described the scoring spree as a volcanic eruption. Miller exploded for 23 points in the third quarter and knocked down 21 consecutive free throws for the game.

2-EIGHT POINTS IN 8.9 SECONDS

Reggie Miller drives on his nemesis, Knicks guard John Starks in the 1995 NBA playoffs.

Miller enjoyed playing in New York’s Madison Square Garden and absolutely loved tormenting the Knicks. His stunning performance in Game 1 Eastern Conference semifinals in which he scored eight points in 8.9 seconds only heightened New York’s genuine disdain for him. After hitting a three with 13 seconds left to cut the N.Y. Lead to three, the Knicks had trouble inbounding the ball and the ball found Miller in the corner after getting away with shoving Greg Anthony to the ground. Miller stepped back and buried another three to tie the game. The Knicks had a chance to regain the lead but John Starks, Miller’s nemesis, missed two free throws and then Patrick Ewing missed a contested 12-footer in the paint. After grabbing the rebound, Miller was fouled and knocked down two free throws to complete an improbable Pacers comeback.

1-SHUT UP, SPIKE!

Miller described Indiana’s Game 5 win against the Knicks in the 1994 East finals a watershed moment for the Pacers franchise. The Knicks were considered the bullies of the East and heir to the throne vacated by the Chicago Bulls when Michael Jordan retired. The Knicks-Pacers series was a classic major-market team versus small-market squad. Miller had had enough of Pat Riley, Patrick Ewing, and the rest of Knicks, who had eliminated the Pacers in the previous two seasons. So Miller took it upon himself to lift an entire franchise with one incredible quarter. He scored 25 points in the fourth, knocking down three after three right in the face of his nemesis John Starks and Hubert Davis. Miller, who finished with 39 points, was feeling so good he got into a running smack-talk with longtime Knicks fan Spike Lee, who was sitting courtside. The chatter turned into a huge spectacle when Miller kept staring down Lee with each cold-blooded 3-point shot. And when Miller swished a trey from near midcourt he looked at Lee’s direction, with his arms cocked back, and uttered a few expletives (if you can read lips he said “Shut the f*** up, b***h!”) while grabbing his throat to signify the choke sign. Lee claims Miller also grabbed something else besides his throat but it wasn’t caught on video. Even though the Pacers lost the series, the game turned into one the most memorable moments in NBA playoff history and it catapulted Miller from being Cheryl Miller’s younger brother to a bonafide superstar and one of basketball greatest villains.

Joel Huerto is the editor and publisher of OneManFastBreak.net. Follow him on Twitter @onemanfastbreak.

Shabazz Muhammad was named the MVP of the 35th annual McDonald's All-American Game in Chicago. (GETTY IMAGES)

Heading into national signing day, there were five high school All-Americans who have yet to decide on which college to attend in the fall, and one of them was Shabazz Muhammad.

The 6-foot-6 forward from Las Vegas Bishop Gorman was named the MVP of the 35th annual McDonald’s High School All-American Game in Chicago, scoring a game-high 21 points in leading his West team to a 106-102 victory. He was easily the best player on the court, and his good friend Kyle Anderson (who is headed to UCLA) was the only player close enough to challenge that claim.

Muhammad put on a show for his three college suitors: Duke, Kentucky, and UCLA. He displayed a skill level that is already tailor-made for the NBA and his approach was very business-like. He recently put on an impressive show at the Nike Hoop Summit in Oregon, and one NBA scout said “he’s the only one who can play in the NBA tomorrow.”

On April 11, Muhammad told the college basketball world that he is going to be a Bruin, instantly making UCLA one of the favorites to make it to the 2013 Final Four.

Muhammad is the No. 1 rated high school senior by almost all of the prominent recruiting services, with the exception of ESPN. The Worldwide Leader inexplicably has center Noel Nerlens of Everett, Mass. as the top college prospect. Why? Not quite sure, especially after watching Muhammad clearly distance himself from the field with his performance at the McDonald’s game. Not too long ago the Worldwide Leader had Xavier Henry as the nation’s No. 1 recruit. Where is Henry now? He’s currently struggling to keep a job in the NBA. We’ll forgive the Worldwide Leader for putting Muhammad at No. 2 . . . for now.

The three schools on Muhammad’s wish list were three of the most storied programs in the nation. Under John Calipari, Kentucky has become a landing spot for blue chippers looking to rent space for seven months until they become draft eligible. Duke is in the running because, let’s face it, it has living legend Mike Krzyzewski. How can you say “no” when Coach K calls your cell! And then there is UCLA headed by a coach who badly needs a hug after a recent Sports Illustrated article painted his program as an out-of-control institution.

If you go by recent performance, it seems the choice is clear: Kentucky or Duke. But why take the easy route. If Muhammad really wanted to make a big splash in what appears to be his one and only season in college basketball, he should choose a school that needs him more than he needs it. Here are five reasons Muhammad chose UCLA:

1– Location, location, location: Shabazz’s parents are from Los Angeles and it would make for an easy transition to move from Las Vegas to L.A. if the Bishop Gorman High star decides to enroll in Westwood. The only drawback would be the simple fact that Shabazz’s dad, Ron Holmes, went to rival USC. But that’s a minor hurdle given the state of USC’s basketball program.

2– Pipeline to the NBA: Howland has sent more players to the NBA than any college coach in the last 10 years, more than Coach K and Coach Cal. Just take a quick glance at the who’s who of Bruin alums in the NBA: Kevin Love, Russell Westbrook, Darren Collison, Arron Afflalo, Jordan Farmar, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, Trevor Ariza, Ryan Hollins, Malcolm Lee, and Jrue Holiday. All the players mentioned transitioned well into the Association mainly because of Howland, whose defensive techniques and principles are in line with the pro game. If you play for Howland, you’ll become a very good two-way player.

3– New digs at Westwood: Pauley Pavilion will no longer have the feel of an old gym for 2012-13 season. And from all the blueprints that have been shown so far new Pauley Pavilion is well on its way to becoming one of the hottest tickets in L.A., maybe ever hotter than The Standard hotel. What better way to christen the hottest college gym in the country with the hottest incoming freshman in the nation. And in Hollywood, it’s all about who’s hot and what’s hot.

4–Head of the class: The Bruins already have commitments from St. Anthony’s (N.J.) Kyle Anderson and Oak Hill Academy’s (Va.) Jordan Adams, and they’re also in the running for Miller Grove (Ga.) center Tony Parker. The Bruins already have a boatload of returning players next season, starting with Travis and David Wear and North Carolina transfer Larry Drew III takes over for the inconsistent Lazeric Jones.  If Parker and Muhammad take their talents to Westwood, the Bruins instantly turn into Final Four contenders.

5–Follow the Pyramid of Success: Duke is always near the top 10 in the national rankings and they’re on ESPN almost as often as Tim Tebow. Kentucky just won the national championship so they’ve already reached the pinnacle. Meanwhile, the Bruins are coming off a disappointing 19-14 season and wasn’t even invited to the NIT. Ouch! Compounding things was the damaging SI piece that put the program in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. Last year, coveted high school recruit Cody Zeller chose Indiana because he wanted to help bring a once proud program back to the top. Muhammad should follow the same path. The Bruins are in hibernation right now, and all it takes is a little Shabazz to awaken a sleeping giant and help raise a 12th national championship banner at Pauley Pavilion.

Joel Huerto is the editor and publisher of OneManFastBreak.net. Follow him on Twitter @onemanfastbreak.

Reggie Miller played his entire NBA career with the Indiana Pacers. (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Clutch. Cocky. Loyal. Those three words defined Reggie Miller’s NBA career.

Clutch is for all the incredible game-tying or game-winning 3-point shots he buried throughout his career. Cocky is for the way he carried himself on the court, using anything and everything in the English language (filled with a bunch of expletives) to get an edge against his opponents. And, last but not least, his loyalty toward the only franchise he ever played for in 18 years says a lot about his love for the state of Indiana and its basketball-crazy fans. When you think about the Indiana Pacers, you can’t help but think about Reggie Miller. He is without a doubt the face of the franchise.

On Monday, Miller joined longtime NBA coach Don Nelson, former UCLA and Lakers great Jamaal Wilkes and former Houston Rockets star Ralph Sampson as part of a 12-member class that will be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in September. Miller’s sister, Cheryl, was enshrined in 1995.

After a standout career at UCLA, Miller became one of the best perimeter shooters in the history of the game. He was part of the 1996 gold medal-winning Olympic team and played more games with one franchise than any player except John Stockton and Karl Malone.

But Miller’s signature moments came against the New York Knicks, for years the biggest rival of his Pacers. Who could forget the choke sign he flashed at Spike Lee when he kept dropping threes in the 1994 Eastern Conference playoff game at Madison Square Garden. And for an encore, he blitzed the Knicks again in the 1995 playoffs with eight points in 11 seconds.

Boston Celtics legend Larry Bird, who coached Miller with the Pacers, said any player can shoot a 3-pointer when the game is tied but it takes a special player to shoot a 3-pointer when his team is down by two points. Few could match Miller’s late-game heroics.

Here’s a video tribute of Miller’s Hall-of-Fame career:

I could recite all of Wooden’s accomplishments, but his impact went beyond statistics, records and championships. He taught us the game of life and showed us the blueprint on how to become successful.

I had the great honor of meeting Coach Wooden in March of 1995. I remember it well.

To this day, it was the best experience I’ve ever had as a journalist. I still have the clip, and it is stored in my safety box.

I will never grow tired of telling my story and my time with the legendary and iconic coach, who I found to be personable, humble, honest, direct, interesting, full of wisdom and highly intelligent.

It was the week of the first round of the NCAA Tournament and Coach Wooden was doing a promotional appearance at what used to be Coast Federal Bank (now Chase) in La Crescenta, Calif. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity so I called the bank’s public relations person and scheduled a sit-down interview with Coach.

John Wooden is the greatest coach of all time and one of the most influential people in the world.

It was around lunchtime when I met Coach. He was 85 years old at the time. His body was moving slow but his mind was as sharp as nails. I asked him how his health was, and he said he was doing fine. He talked about his grandchildren a lot and told me how proud he was to have lived long enough to see them grow up.

We discussed various subjects, from UCLA’s chances of winning the NCAA championship (which the Bruins did that season, led by Ed and Charles O’Bannon) to why Coach Wooden thinks the dunk show should be disallowed to his disdain for too much showmanship on the court. Coach Wooden strongly believed the slam dunk has become a detriment to the game because players tend to pass up the simple and basic play in favor of the more crowd-pleasing aerial acrobatic.

Wooden said, “I think the dunk has brought on an inordinate amount of showmanship and that has taken away from team play. For the most part everything is fine if they just call the rules the way they are written and understand the purpose of the rules.”

When I asked him about the state of college basketball, he explained: “I think the players are getting better. I think the quality of team play has not. Maybe it’s a natural result of the players being better that the tendency is sort of let them be on their own because they are so good individually, but that in turn takes away from team play. The thing that concerns me about [college basketball] is the considerable taunting. And I don’t like that at all. I think television has brought on entirely too much showmanship, and I think they are permitting many aspects of the game to become too physical coming down from the pros.”

And then I asked his opinion about college underclassmen entering the NBA or the pro ranks, and he believed that, in most cases, a player would be better served completing his education.

“Those that decide not to (stay in school) and receive tremendous multi-million dollar contracts, you can’t blame them. But at the same time, they are not under hardship,” Wooden said. “They are getting a complete education free. It doesn’t cost them anything. I think if they would finish their education, they would be more mature and better able to handle what the responsibilities and obligations that come along with having so much money.”

Coach Wooden was all about mastering the fundamentals, and who can argue the results. The man won 10 national championships and built college basketball’s greatest dynasty. He stressed it to all his players, whether it’s UCLA All-Americans Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (although Coach Wooden still calls him Lew), Bill Walton, Gail Goodrich, Jamaal Wilkes and Marques Johnson or role players such as Mike Warren, Lynn Shackelford and Brad Holland. Repetition and practice was important to Wooden. He always made sure his teams practiced well because the preparation aspect of the game was the key to game execution.

“Be quick, but don’t hurry,” Wooden preaches.

“Failing to prepare is preparing to fail,” Wooden stresses.

“Be humble, be grateful, but be careful,” Wooden advises.

“Happiness begins when selfishness ends,” Wooden teaches.

Preparation is something that I always carry with me, whether I’m coaching my youth basketball team or working on a story. I relay to my teams that practice is just like doing your school homework. When you do your homework and study for your exams, the pressure of failing doesn’t exist on the day of the test. In basketball, when you work on your fundamentals and improve your skills, there is no reason to be fearful of failing or losing. I always tell my boys, “Do your best and live with the results.”

The most important aspect that I took from my time with Coach Wooden is that simplicity is the best way to eliminate life’s complications. Sometimes we fill our lives with unnecessary stress. By keeping things simple, we get rid of the confusion and see a clearer picture of our goals and what we are trying to accomplish.

Thank you, Coach Wooden.