ESPN

For the second time in a month, USC will visit the Las Vegas home of 2012 No. 1 recruit Shabazz Muhammad, a source close to the program said.

USC head coach Kevin O'Neill and associate head coach Bob Cantu will make the visit with Muhammad and family late Tuesday, the second-to-last day of the NCAA-allowed contact period, which began on Sept. 9. O'Neill and Cantu also visited with Muhammad and his family on the first day of the period.

Muhammad is the son of former USC forward Ron Holmes, who some say is the driving force behind Muhammad's interest in the Trojans. But his interest appears to be growing in recent weeks, with a surprise visit in August to the USC campus and then the Trojans' in-home visit with him last month.

The 6-6, 215-pound Muhammad is the No. 1 overall player in the ESPNU 100. He's defensively adept and well-built for a 17-year-old, capable of dominating most high-schoolers and many AAU opponents with a polished left-handed mid-range game. He's considered a likely bet to start right away as a freshman, whether he chooses USC or any of the other schools he's considering, including Kentucky, UCLA, UNLV, Duke or Kansas.

Muhammad still plans to visit USC the weekend of Oct. 28, which would fall on the same weekend as the USC-Stanford football game. His other known scheduled visit is at Kentucky on Oct. 14 for the Wildcats' Big Blue Madness practice-kickoff event.

The Trojans have two players committed in the Class of 2012: Phoenix guard Larry Lewis, a 6-3 slasher who verbally committed to USC in March 2010, and 6-8 Strahinja Gavrilovic, a Serbian forward spending his senior season at La Jolla Prep near San Diego.

Strahinja Gavrilovic, a 6-foot-8, 220-pound forward from Serbia who is enrolled at a prep school near San Diego for the upcoming season, committed to USC during an official recruiting visit over the weekend, a source said Sunday.

Gavrilovic, 18, is a likely power forward at the next level but one who can consistently knock down 3-pointers. He has not played a high school game in the United States after moving from overseas earlier this year. He'll play his senior season at La Jolla Prep School near San Diego, a new basketball academy started this year, where he'll be coached by Gary Trousdale.

The Trojans had been recruiting him for roughly a year. Like freshman walk-on Danilo Dragovic, a fellow Serbian, he was recently turned on to USC by the progress of former Trojan Nikola Vucevic, who turned himself into a first-round pick in the NBA draft during his three years at USC.

Gavrilovic becomes USC's second commitment in the class of 2012, joining Phoenix-area guard Larry Lewis, who committed to the Trojans in March 2010.

USC will visit the Las Vegas home of top Class of 2012 recruit Shabazz Muhammad on Friday, the first day of the next NCAA-allowed contact period, a source said Wednesday.

Head coach Kevin O'Neill and associate head coach Bob Cantu will make the in-home visit with Muhammad and his family Friday morning as the first set of coaches to make a visit. Expected to be present at the meeting are Muhammad's father, former USC basketball player Ron Holmes, and his mother, former Long Beach State basketball player Faye Muhammad.

USC was not thought to be particularly high on Muhammad's extensive list of potential suitors until the 6-6, 215-pound left-hander showed up on campus for a surprise visit last month. The Trojans are still not believed to be leading the race to sign him,, but it's clear they at least have somewhat of a shot.

Muhammad, the No. 1 overall player in the ESPNU 100, is well-built for a 17-year-old, capable of manhandling high-schoolers and many AAU opponents with a variety of moves within 15 feet of the basket. His defensive skills are also better than most top recruits at his age.

The contact period beginning Friday ends October 5, after which begins a so-called evaluation period, when in-home visits are not allowed. 2012 recruits can sign letters of intent with colleges between November 9-November 16 or wait until the other signing period in April.

The Trojans currently have one player committed in the Class of 2012: Phoenix, Az. guard Larry Lewis, a 6-3 slasher who verbally committed to USC in March 2010.

2012 recruits Zena Edosomwan (North Hollywood, Calif./Harvard Westlake) and Joe Rahon (San Diego, Calif./Torrey Pines) will also officially visit the school this weekend. Edosomwan, a 6-8, 220-pound forward, has been a top target of the Trojans for quite some time.

Las Vegas prep forward Shabazz Muhammad visited a USC basketball practice Sunday night alongside his father, former USC forward Ron Holmes.

Muhammad, a 6-6, 215-pound left-handed forward from Bishop Gorman High, is considered one of the top high school players in the nation in the Class of 2012. ESPNU has him ranked as the No. 1 small forward in his class and No. 3 prospect overall.

He had not been known to be seriously considering USC until the surprise visit, but sources close to the team believe he could end up making the school one of the five he officially visits come the fall and wintertime. He and his father have said previously they are high on UCLA, Kentucky, Duke and Texas, among a host of other schools, including hometown UNLV.

Holmes, who lettered at USC from 1981-1985, still keeps in fairly constant contact with his alma mater. Muhammad's mother, Faye Muhammad, and younger brother also visited the school Sunday.

Per NCAA regulations, Muhammad can sign with a school beginning in November during the early period, which lasts one week. If he doesn't choose then, the next signing period lasts roughly a month and begins in mid-April.

The Trojans currently have one player committed in the Class of 2012: Phoenix, Az. guard Larry Lewis, a 6-3 slasher who verbally committed to USC in March 2010.