Cal’s Frosh Sensation Continues To Dazzle Golden Bears Recruit Abdur-Rahim Wows Scouts With All-Around Play

When prep wunderkind Shareef Abdur-Rahim of Marietta, Ga., agreed to play basketball at Cal, everyone wondered how the Golden Bears got him.

Now, the big question is, how are they going to keep him from the NBA?

Abdur-Rahim, a freshman, is earning raves for his sensational start, in which he is averaging 27.2 points.

“Shareef is the best we’ve played so far,” Cincinnati coach Bob Huggins said late Wednesday after his ninth-ranked Bearcats posted a 77-70 victory over No. 24 Cal.

That’s a bold statement from a coach who already has faced Arkansas, Temple and Minnesota this season.

But Abdur-Rahim attacked the Bearcats like a seasoned veteran.

While his teammates were struggling, Abdur-Rahim scored 18 points in 16 minutes of the first half to power a 43-35 halftime lead before 11,500 spectators at the Oakland Coliseum Arena and a national audience on ESPN.

However, in the second half, the Bearcats wore down the Bears, and Abdur-Rahim was slowed by foul trouble. He played only 11 of the final 20 minutes but finished with a game-high 25 points in 27 minutes.

Abdur-Rahim, 6-foot-10 and 225 pounds, showcased his skills with an assortment of shots, including smooth drives, soft jumpers and a devastating dunk that created a 64-64 tie with 3:35 to go.

And, unlike many heralded high school All-Americans, Abdur-Rahim does more than score. Very active defensively, he had a gamehigh four steals and was the Bears’ leading rebounder with seven.

“He runs like a gazelle for a big guy - he’s going to be a great player, very talented,” Cincinnati’s Art Long said. “But we couldn’t play physical with him because of fouls.”

NBA scouts in the near-capacity crowd were impressed with Abdur-Rahim’s performance, but there are some unanswered questions.

“Shareef’s biggest problem right now is strength,” said Scotty Stirling of the Kings. “But his face-up skills are so good, he reacts quickly, he sees the floor and he passes well.

“He projects as a small forward to me, but I hope he doesn’t come out after one year. From what I understand, he’s a pretty together kid, so I hope he stays in school.”

Cal coach Todd Bozeman shares those sentiments. He hopes his prize recruit will be the cornerstone for a Final Four appearance.

“He’s a very mature young man,” Bozeman said of Abdur-Rahim. “He works real hard,

and he fits right in. His (Muslim) religion gives him a solid foundation and keeps him humble. He’s definitely made an impact on us.”

Abdur-Rahim, who turned 19 last week, hasn’t skipped a beat since high school, where he averaged 31.0 points and 12.4 rebounds as a senior and was listed among the top five recruits in the nation.

He set the Cal freshman record with 33 points in the opener against Northern Arizona. He’s averaging 27.2 points and 6.6 rebounds while also leading the No. 24 Bears (4-1) in field-goal percentage, steals and blocks.