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In Houston, Texas (KTRK) — To secure a strong showing in the Big Dance, the injury-plagued Houston Cougars, seeded No. 1 in the South Region of March Madness, are likely to rely heavily on their playmaking point guard Jamal Shead, who earned a spot on the Associated Press’ All-America First Team announced on Tuesday.
The four-year senior standout has brought All-America honors to the University of Houston men’s basketball team for two consecutive seasons, following in the footsteps of Marcus Sasser, who now plays in the NBA, earning the recognition last year.
Alongside Shead on the AP All-America First Team are Purdue’s Zach Eady, Tennessee’s Dalton Knecht, North Carolina’s RJ Davis, and UConn’s Tristen Newton.
Head coach Kelvin Sampson praised the 6-foot-1-inch court leader during the past season, describing him as “the greatest leader I’ve ever coached.” In return, Shead lauded Sampson as the top coach in America.
Shead’s accolades include being named Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year in the Big 12 conference.
Beyond mere words, Shead’s impact is evident in his statistics. He ranked second in steals-per-game and third in assists-per-game among all Big 12 players this season. Nationally, he stood at 17th in assists with an average of 6.2 per game and tied for 11th in assists at 2.3.
Furthermore, Shead plays a crucial role in the team’s stellar defense, which leads the nation in points allowed and ranks third in points differential.
Looking ahead to their matchup against Longwood, ESPN Bet favors Houston by 24.5 points over the No. 16-seeded Longwood Lancers from the Big South Conference, after initially opening as a 23.5-point favorite.
ESPN Analytics overwhelmingly predicts Houston’s success, granting them a 98.6% chance of advancing to the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament’s Second Round.
While Longwood faces daunting odds, led by attorney/businessman-turned-college hoops head coach Griff Aldrich, who notably participated in a historic 16-seed upset bid against a first seed in 2018.
Despite their favorable odds, Houston must also contend with the location of the game. UH has a history in Memphis, facing off against the University of Memphis Tigers as conference rivals for years. According to the UH athletics department, the Coogs have struggled in Tennessee, with a 4-15 record against Memphis, including only three wins at the FedEx Forum, the venue for Friday night’s game.
Nonetheless, the Coogs will depart for Memphis on Wednesday, with a send-off event planned at 12:30 p.m. at the Guy V. Lewis Development Center.