Good news.


http://www.kentucky.com/mld/kentucky/sports/basketball/9703558.htm


Posted on Sun, Sep. 19, 2004




UK BASKETBALL NOTEBOOK


Former 300-pound project now Knicks' Shaq solution

EX-CAT MOHAMMED ESCAPES ATLANTA, STILL TRAINS IN LEXINGTON

By Jerry Tipton

HERALD-LEADER STAFF WRITER


When he played for Kentucky, big man Nazr Mohammed personified reinvention. He came in 1995 as a 300-pound freshman. "A long-term project," then coach Rick Pitino said. Long-term came to mean three years.

Mohammed left after his junior season some 60 pounds lighter and owner of a rŽsumŽ weighted down with accomplishments: two national-championship rings, three Final Four appearances and first-round draft status.

This summer, which ends Tuesday, showed that Mohammed's evolution continues. Though a proven six-year NBA veteran now, he continued to refine his body and his game in workouts in Lexington and his hometown of Chicago.

"Learning never ends," he said by cell phone in Atlanta rush-hour traffic.

Mohammed hopes his latest bit of learning proves beneficial next season because he's escaped the NBA backwaters (the Hawks) to play for one of the league's marquee teams, the New York Knicks.

"I feel I'm back in college again, where fans are into the game," said Mohammed, a thinly veiled reference to Atlanta's morbid franchise. "I almost feel I've been reborn in terms of my basketball juices."

Mohammed dismissed the suggestion that endorsement opportunities from playing in New York also fueled his renewed enthusiasm. He said he plays for "respect from coaches and peers. We're all going to make money.

"When you play for a winning team, people feel you're a winner. When you're on a losing team, people tend to forget what you can do."

Mohammed is the only true center on the Knicks' roster. Power forwards Kurt Thomas and Vin Baker figure to be his backups.

So no surprise that the Knicks' strength coach, Greg Brittenham, spoke well of Mohammed and the contributions the Knicks expect from the former Cat. "We have high expectations for him," the coach said a few minutes after saying, "Nazr has risen to the challenge to change his body."

Mohammed's off-season goals were to increase strength, decrease body fat and, if possible, add about 10 pounds without sacrificing any athleticism.

With Shaquille O'Neal now in the Eastern Conference, Mohammed and other big men on this side of the country need all the skill and bulk they can develop. But Mohammed downplayed Shaq's move to the East as motivation.

"Shaq's going to be Shaq," he said. "We played him two times (a season) before. Now it will be four. There's still 78 other games I have to play well and compete."

In Mohammed's mind, O'Neal and Yao Ming are the NBA's two best big men. "Head and shoulders above the rest," he said.

With Brittenham's blessing and guidance, Mohammed worked out with Lexington-based trainer Allen Cress this summer. He first met Cress when the trainer worked with Mohammed's wife, Mandi, a UK graduate and niece of Wilbert Hackett, the first black football player to make an impact for UK.

Mohammed also went to Chicago to work with Knicks assistant coach Mark Aguirre.

Those Chicago sessions included Knicks rookie Mike Sweetney of Georgetown and pros Mike Finley, Paul Pierce, Corey Maggette and Eddy Curry. They hoped to improve in the low post.

While working on his basketball skills this off-season, Mohammed has continued to own and operate Mo's Apparel, a clothing store in Lexington's Victorian Square that offers hip-hop fashion.

To be a clothier and the Knicks' best chance to contain Shaq is quite a leap from the overweight "project" of 10 years ago.

"It's never been money," Mohammed said of his motivation. "I like proving people wrong, and I like doing things well. My motivation is I don't like to fail."

I like Nazr. I'd like to see him step up and prove he should be our starting center.

I had no idea he was a 300-pounder at one point. The only part of the article I didn't like was Aguirre teaching Eddie Curry low-post moves!!!

Posted by MaTT4281:

I like Nazr. I'd like to see him step up and prove he should be our starting center.

I agree! Let's hope so. time to take it to another level

this is great to hear. this is part of the enviroment that isiah has created. this is a big bIG difference between laydumb + isiah. isiah has created a basketball factory--a place where you come in and treat things like a business 365 days--where the offseason is just as important as the regular season. giving the players the opportunity to practice with great teachers during all parts of the year. i mean you have isiah thomas kareem and Mark Aquire showing these guys the ropes--how much better are you going to get? 2 hall of famers, a scoring champion who all have won multiple championships + have a toughness

it helps when you have antoine walker tony delk + ron mercer all on your college team to win! Naze used to be the front man on the fullcourt press on the inbounds player with his long arms. he didnt play big minutes, but was effective in that system

Nazr likely does this every year, but its a local story they can't tell each year. Isiah would not have traded for him if he was not a hard worker. He would not be in the league.

Professionals have to do this just to stay in the league. Its not easy being an NBA player.

Most guys have an off season training program, even Marbury.

Its interesting he calls Los Angeles home in the off season.

Those are good news. Its good to know that Nazr is more motivated now in NY and that he wants to learn more because he knows he can do more than what he does. I really hope he works a lot on his defense, especially on those fouls. He had many great games for us last season where he scored a lot and got a lot of rebounds. He definitely has talent. But then he had games where he was in so much foul trouble that he would be a nonfactor. If he could just improve more in his defense, in all those fouls, he would be a very good starting center for us.

Prove people wrong again, Nazr! Be the player we need you to be!

Good article. Thanks.

Posted by TMS:

i'm mainly concerned to see if he'll play some defense this season...anything else will be a bonus afaic.

whatever he did last year, plus at least 2blks a game and i'll be content w/him. the opportunity is there for him, let's hope he goes for it.