Younger Muhammad emerges

Rashad Muhammad has a blurry-fast first step on the basketball court.

The Bishop Gorman slasher can play either guard spot, and a growing 6-foot-5-inch frame makes him a matchup conundrum on many coaches’ dry erase boards.

With at least eight Division I scholarship offers heading into his senior year, Muhammad isn’t eclipsed so much by the shadow of his older brother Shabazz.

Rashad has already emerged.

“He’s definitely a Division I player on his own,” Gorman coach Grant Rice said. “If there were no Shabazz Muhammad, Rashad would probably get even more attention.”

Shabazz Muhammad, of course, has been hailed as the savior of UCLA basketball. The incoming Bruins swingman won enough national player of the year awards at Gorman last season to fill his own trophy case.

Even for a talent like Rashad Muhammad, it’s easy to be overlooked when your older brother has his own diary in SLAM Magazine, more than 29,000 followers on Twitter and autographed basketballs going for hundreds of dollars on eBay.

But college coaches haven’t overlooked Rashad, one of the main attractions of the AAU season at the Las Vegas Fab 48 this week.

Muhammad made two 3-pointers and shot 5-for-5 at the foul line on his way to 19 points, but his Las Vegas Prospects 17s suffered a 75-72 loss to the Mater Dei Monarchs (Calif.) on Thursday night at Gorman. Earlier Thursday, the Prospects beat Wisconsin Playmakers, 75-64.

Muhammad has drawn scholarship offers from Colorado, Southern California, Texas A&M, Maryland, Northwestern, Southern Methodist, Texas-El Paso and San Diego State, and UNLV is showing interest.

“I’m trying to take (my recruitment) slow right now, get some more looks and go from there,” said Muhammad, adding he will look for a coach and system that fit along with a spot close to home.

Muhammad said colleges are eyeing him mostly as a combo guard, although the wiry 170-pounder will mainly play shooting guard as a senior at Gorman.

Muhammad averaged 9.4 points off the bench as a junior, helping the Gaels (28-4) storm to their third Class 4A state championship in four years. He scored 14 points in the state final, combining with Shabazz for 50 points in a 96-51 demolition of Hug.

Gorman graduated its starting five from last season, including four Division I signees. It’s a stage Muhammad is ready to seize.

“I can take the team off (Shabazz’s) hands and show everybody what I can do now,” he said.

The Muhammad brothers are not twins, but they share an almost identical voice. Basketball has formed a bond in which they look out for each other.

“We’re like best friends,” Rashad Muhammad said. “(Shabazz) always makes me grind harder and always makes me try to push myself to a high level. He’s certainly a big mentor for me, as much as he is a brother.”

Muhammad has someone to relate to in Rice, brother of UNLV coach Dave Rice.

“I’ve got a soft spot in my heart for (Rashad) because of my brother situation,” Grant Rice said. “A lot of people call me 'Rice No. 2’ here in town, and I’m OK with that. We love our brothers, but it’s nice for Rashad to get some recognition at times.”

With lines of coaches watching him from the sidelines, recognition hasn’t been anything for him to worry about this week.

NOTE — As expected, UNLV recruit Anthony Bennett had his waiver approved by the NCAA and will be eligible for the season, Dave Rice confirmed via text message. Bennett, a McDonald’s All-American forward from Findlay Prep, was awaiting a decision from the NCAA Eligibility Center on his academic status after attending multiple high schools.