No. 1 UH aims to ‘get greedy’ vs. Kansas in bid to win Big 12 regular season title outright

After the Houston Cougars clinched at least a share of the Big 12 title with a road victory against Central Florida, senior guard Jamal Shead observed head coach Kelvin Sampson’s dance moves during Wednesday night’s post-game celebration.

“He shows his excitement. He acknowledges that we’ve earned it. And he celebrates with us as long as we continue to do the right things,” Shead remarked.

The Coogs have demonstrated their prowess throughout the season, amassing a remarkable 27-3 record and securing the No. 1 ranking in the national polls.

On Saturday, a win against Kansas would allow UH to claim the outright Big 12 title.

“You have to, in a way, be greedy,” commented L.J. Cryer about the team’s mentality. “We have the opportunity to win it outright, and if there’s time left on the clock, we need to go out there and compete and not be content with what we’ve already achieved.”

Cryer anticipated an “electric” atmosphere for Senior Day. UH plans to honor six players and three team managers, including Shead, Cryer, J’Wan Roberts, Damian Dunn, Mylik Wilson, and Ryan Elvin.

Shead emphasized that the Cougars will be fully focused on the upcoming game after the Wednesday celebration.

“We had our moment and enjoyed it a bit, but once the media coverage and press conference were over, we refocused and got back into the zone,” Shead stated.

Senior Day presents an opportunity not only to defeat the Jayhawks, who handed the Cougars a tough loss in early January, but also to win and ceremonially cut down the nets at Fertitta Center, marking an emotional send-off for the outgoing senior class.

“I’ll shed a few tears before the game, but when it’s game time, the focus is on winning on Senior Night. If you lose, all those tears were for nothing,” Shead reflected.

Houston will conclude its highly successful Big 12 debut season with an eagerly awaited showdown against the Jayhawks, airing on ESPN, Saturday at 3 p.m.