ESPN RISE

LAS VEGAS -- The game was no Las Vegas fairytale. Shabazz Muhammad and his DreamVision teammates came out flat against a fired-up PA Playaz squad looking to knock off the favored locals in the Adidias Super 64, held here July 22-26.

Scott Kurtz

Shabazz Muhammad made a statement as a freshman.

The PA Playaz jumped out to a 7-1 lead and rolled to a 37-29 halftime lead. Muhammad had missed 5 of 7 free throws and made just 1 of 4 in the second half. Still, DreamVision had the chance to take control of the game. The PA Playaz, however, had an answer for every DreamVision mini-run, and the Playaz's solid dribbling exposed the holes in DreamVision's defense. The boys from the Keystone State held on for a 67-62 victory.

"I was really upset. I usually make free throws," Muhammad said. "After the game, I went to the gym and put up 500 free throws. We're going to look back at the loss, regroup, and try to win it next year."

"I'd heard about him [Muhammad], but had never seen him play," said PA Playaz and Neshaminy High School (Langhorne, Pa.) guard Ryan Arcidiacono. "We got back on defense and had to turn it into a half-court game. Our coaches had a good game plan, and I thought we did a good job on him most of the time."

While Muhammad, a 6-foot-4 sophomore, didn't hit the jackpot in this summer tournament, his freshman campaign at Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) was straight out of Hollywood. At the tender age of 15, Muhammad is already considered one of the top prospects in the Class of 2012.

He finished his freshman season averaging 13 points (shooting 87 percent from the free-throw line ) and nine rebounds, while helping Bishop Gorman to its fifth Class 4A state title. Muhammad hopes to increase those numbers and expand his game in other areas in his sophomore season for what should be a loaded team.

"I have to get quicker and improve my basketball IQ," Muhammad said. "Last year, I was just trying to help the team win. This year, I want to take the team upon my shoulders. I just have to play hard and keep positive."

"I tell him, you have to crawl before you can walk, but he wants to be the best," said Shabazz's father, Ron Muhammad. "Shabazz is not satisfied too often."

Shabazz can thank his parents for good genes; his father (then known as Ron Holmes) was a 1980 all-CIF Southern Section 3A choice at El Toro (Lake Forest, Calif.) after averaging 28.8 points per game as a senior. However, his mother, Faye Muhammad (then Faye Paige), was the real star. She competed in the 1980 U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials and just missed the cut for the 1984 Olympic women's basketball team.

Shabazz isn't Ron and Faye's only child to find success in sports. His sister Asia made her professional tennis debut at 17 at the 2008 U.S. Open. His brother Rashad is a promising incoming freshman at Bishop Gorman.

"I think my parents not only influence how I play, but they taught me how to work on my game," Shabazz said. "A lot of these kids out here don't have parents that give them a lot. I think that's huge."

"It has given me a lot of motivation, just to do what they did, and better," he added.

Ronnie Flores is a senior editor of ESPN RISE.