Muhammad, Spartans Hope Next Season Has More Bounce
By Dave Thomas
Name: Rashad Muhammad
University: San Jose State University
Year: Sophomore
Height: 6' 6"
Weight: 180 lbs.
Hometown: Las Vegas, Nevada
Position: Guard
When your season culminates with a 2-28 record, there isn't much room to go but up.
Such was the case this past season for the San Jose State Spartans, a team that finished 11th in the Mountain West Conference, scoring its only victories over Bethesda and Saint Katherine (both non-conference foes). Yes, it was a very long season in San Jose.
On the bright side, the Spartans do have some young talent to build around in hopes of adding more wins next season and being more competitive in MWC play.
One such player is current sophomore guard Rashad Muhammad.
Guard Looks To Ignite San Jose State
For Muhammad, it was a good season despite the team's overall woes.
The Las Vegas product led the team in scoring at a 13.9 clip per game (scored in double figures 21 times), slightly increasing his average from a year ago when he finished as a freshman at 13.2 ppg.
Among his highlights this season:
- Season-high 27-point performance in a 74-56 loss to San Diego State;
- Twenty-three points and 10 rebounds in a 77-60 loss to MWC Tourney champ Wyoming;
- Twenty-six points in a 78-56 defeat at the hands of Air Force.
One of the first questions one might have about San Jose State this past season is did anyone else step up to the plate when it came to scoring?
The Spartans had two other players average in double figures for the season (Jaleel Williams at 11.1 ppg and Jordan Baker at 10.6 ppg), but that was far from enough to help a squad that was weak on the defensive side of the ball.
San Jose State gave up 70 or more points in 17 of their contests. Among some of the worst defeats, an 82-53 loss to Washington State and an 86-36 blowout to regular-season MWC co-champ Boise State.
Muhammad, who set the Mountain West Freshman record a season ago for three pointers made in a season at 75, is the younger brother of Shabazz Muhammad, a former UCLA player who is currently a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves.
When you look at San Jose State's roster for this season, the Spartans had only two seniors on the squad, giving fans hope for down the road.
Muhammad was one of six sophomores on the team, with the Spartans also sporting five freshmen.
While the mountain to getting back to respectability in the Mountain West Conference and beyond is a tall one for San Jose State to climb, Rashad Muhammad may just be the catalyst next season who helps turn things around for the blue and gold when all is said and done.
Dave Thomas has been covering the sports world since his first job as a sports editor for a weekly newspaper in Pennsylvania back in 1989. He has covered a Super Bowl, college bowl games, MLB, NBA and more. His work can be found on Examiner.com.
