LOS ANGELES — A few weeks ago, Shabazz Muhammad looked slow, heavy and somewhat overmatched. He was not what was expected. But now, heading into Saturday's home game against Fresno State, he has emerged as UCLA's leading scorer.

Although the transformation was probably not a surprise, the source of the turnaround was odd: three former USC players.

Ron Holmes, Muhammad's father, and two other former USC basketball players — Jacque Hill and Don Carfino — helped Muhammad sharpen his game during almost daily private workouts in Westwood.

"Shabazz is more like family than just a kid that I know," said Hill, a first-team All-American guard who played alongside Holmes in the 1980s.

"If it wasn't for that, I wouldn't have gone anywhere near UCLA," Hill added with a laugh.

Some late-night sessions lasted into the early morning as they focused on footwork, moving without the ball, mid-range shooting, how to beat a defender off the dribble and more.

The Los Angeles Times