One of the big highlights of last week for me was watching St. Louisan Mustafa Abdul-Hamid sink that game-winning shot to give UCLA a 62-61 victory over Washington in a Pac 10 Conference game in Los Angeles.
The theme of the NCAA Tournament and March Madness is “One Shining Moment.” The former MICDS standout enjoyed his shining moment about a month earlier when he transformed from a walk-on player to an instant national celebrity in one flick of the wrist from 19 feet.
To recap, the Huskies took a 61-60 lead on a basket by Venoy Overton with four seconds remaining. Abdul-Hamid took the ensuing inbounds pass at midcourt, dribbled to the top of the key, gave his defender a pump fake, then drained a long jumper as time expired. Game over. Hello, national spotlight.
Mustafa was mobbed by his jubilant teammates and fellow students and the praises and accolades have been rolling in ever since. His game-winning shot was the No. 1 Play of the Day on ESPN’s Sportscenter that night.
The highest praise for Mustafa came from none other than his own coach Ben Howland, who has seen his work ethic and commitment on a daily basis for the past four years.
“I couldn’t be happier for a player that I’ve coached, since I’ve been coaching, to have Mustafa make that shot,” Howland said on ESPN.com. “No one has worked harder, been more committed to the program and the team.”
It could not have happened to a nicer young man. Mustafa was a big-time scoring guard in high school at MICDS, but he always carried himself in a humble and classy manner. He was also a top student who had the opportunity to play at a lot of places, including Harvard, which offered him a scholarship.
Instead, he chose to walk-on at UCLA with the full knowledge that playing time would be scarce on a team that had future NBA players such as Aaron Afflalo, Russell Westbrook, Kevin Love and Darren Collison. Mustafa maintained a diligent work ethic and enjoyed the ride as the Bruins went to two consecutive Final Fours. Meanwhile, he spent his summers rolling with high-ranking politicians and business leaders as an intern. He was making the most out of his college experience, even if he wasn’t getting the minutes on the court.
Heading into his junior season, Mustafa was rewarded with a scholarship from head coach Ben Howland, but a wrist injury forced him to sit out the season as a medical redshirt.
In his junior season, he is averaging about 10 minutes a game. After his heroics against Washington, Mustafa played a Pac-10 season high 18 minutes in the Bruins’ 71-62 victory over Washington State. He scored nine points, including two 3-pointers to contribute to the victory. Yes, that’s Mustafa. After his once-in-a-lifetime moment, he came back focused for the next game and enjoyed a solid performance in another Bruins’ victory.
Mustafa Abdul-Hamid is a prime example of a young man who has worked hard to make himself the best that he can be, even when there wasn’t much immediate gratification for his hard work. When he got the opportunity, he made the most of it and now he is a national celebrity.
Like I said, it could not have happened to a nicer young man.
