UCLA Basketball: Shabazz Muhammad’s Shoulder Doesn’t Need Surgery, Will Sit 2-4 Weeks

And exhale.

UCLA basketball’s freshman star — we’re ascribing him that status because he’s that damn important — will not require surgery to repair damage done to his right shoulder, an MRI revealed. Muhammad injured his shoulder in practice on Wednesday and was seen on campus with a cast.

Instead, Ben Howland said Muhammad will have to miss two to four weeks, which means the freshman phenom will likely miss UCLA’s season- and home-opener at the New Pauley Pavilion on November 9 against Indiana State due to injury.

The injury was initially feared to be much worse and Daily Bruin reporter Jacob Ruffman had said he heard Shabazz’s injury was “pretty bad,” causing ten pounds of sweat to be released per UCLA hoops fan.

Obviously this is good news, namely for Shabazz Muhammad, but it isn’t as if this was the only thing holding Muhammad back from playing in UCLA’s 2012-13 campaign. Muhammad still hasn’t been cleared by the NCAA, which is still investigating whether or not the freshman hoopster — and likely No. 1 pick in the 2013 NBA draft — received improper benefits during the course of his recruitment.

There’s questions to be answered, but at least Muhammad won’t have to overcome a surgery and miss the entire basketball season as a result of that.

One step forward, two steps back, eh?