San Antonio Express-News (Sunday)
Shead injures ankle in season-ending loss
DALLAS — Jamal Shead sat on the bench in the closing minutes Friday night, unable to help topseeded Houston mount a comeback.
He could not deliver another memorable moment in a fouryear career full of them.
And, yet again, the Cougars' national title hopes were denied by an untimely injury.
With Shead out for the final 27 minutes with a severely sprained right ankle, the Cougars' season ended in a 54-51 loss to fourthseeded Duke in the South Region semifinals at American Airlines Center.
“Our time is coming,” an emotional coach Kelvin Sampson said after the Cougars lost in the Sweet 16 as the No. 1 seed for the second year in a row. “It just wasn't today.”
It wasn't in 2022, either.
Or last season.
Each time, the Cougars lost a star player at some point during the season — or had a player deal with a serious injury in the postseason — in what has become a painful March tradition.
March Madness has become March Sadness.
“We were right there,” guard/ forward Ramon Walker Jr. said in a subdued locker room. “It was lined up for us. It's hard to cope with that.”
On Friday night, Houston took control early, feeding the ball inside to J'Wan Roberts and Ja'Vier Francis for a 10-3 lead. They controlled the tempo. They bullied Duke inside. They forced turnovers.
Then it all came crashing down on Shead's right ankle.
Shead cut through the lane and attempted a jump-stop move when his ankle twisted in both directions with 6:38 left in the first half. He walked off the court slowly
before needing the assistance of two Houston staff members on the way to the locker room.
X-rays on Shead's ankle were negative. Trainers taped up the ankle tightly at halftime with the hope the senior point guard could return.
“I tried to run, but I couldn't put any pressure on it,” Shead said. “I could barely walk.”
As he approached the bench before the start of the second half, Shead said he “almost cried” because of the pain. Coach Kelvin Sampson said Shead suffered a Grade 4 sprain.
At the time of Shead's injury, Houston led 16-10. With Shead on the floor, Duke scored 10 points in 14 minutes. The Blue Devils scored 13 points in the final six minutes for a 23-22 halftime lead.
“When he went down, it was hard to see, but we've got confidence in each other,” said Roberts, a senior forward. “I don't
think anybody quit. I don't think anybody gave up. Everybody just kept fighting.”
But there was Shead, on the bench, unable to offer any assistance after a decorated season that included the Big 12's Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year awards, consensus firstteam All-American, Wooden Award finalist, Naismith Defensive Player of the Year finalist and leader of the 32-win Big 12 regularseason champions.
“He's our leader,” redshirt sophomore guard Emanuel Sharp said. “We really needed that down the stretch. Not being able to play at full strength, full ability, is tough.”
Shead had to watch as Duke's Ryan Young delivered a dunk for a 34-32 lead.
He had to watch Jeremy Roach score eight straight points — including three free throws after a foul by Mylik Wilson — for a 4237 lead.
Shead clapped as Walker came up with a 3-pointer and again when Roberts made a pair of free throws to get the Cougars within 48-46 with 5 ⁄ minutes left.
Shead got out of his seat when Tyrese Proctor made a jumper for a 52-48 lead with 3:51 left.
“They fought hard,” Shead said. “I know if I played it probably would've been a different outcome, or I hope it would've. I'm just glad I got to play with these guys. It's a special group. We just didn't have enough. We fought hard to the end.”
It will be an All-Atlantic Coast Conference South Region final. Duke (27-8) advanced to play 11thseeded North Carolina State (2514) — a 67-58 winner over secondseeded Marquette — in the Elite Eight on Sunday.
Houston ended the season 32-5 after reaching the Sweet 16 for the fifth straight tournament.
L.J. Cryer had 15 points for the Cougars and Roberts added 13 points and seven rebounds. After two quick buckets to begin the game, Francis had three points the rest of the game. Sharp, who had 30 points in a second-round overtime win over Texas A&M, finished with seven points on 2of-7 shooting.
Kyle Filipowski, Duke's 7-foot All-American center, had 16 points and nine rebounds, and Roach added 12 points.
If Shead's injury wasn't the final blow, two turnovers and three point-blank misses doomed the Cougars in the closing minutes.
Sharp scored on a layup and converted a free throw to pull the Cougars within 54-51 with 48.7 seconds left. Houston missed its final two shots.
In what is expected to be his final collegiate game, Shead sat on the bench, a grey hoodie draped over his head. It wasn't supposed to end this way.
“I didn't want it to end this early,” Roberts said.
As Shead sat at his locker, Francis came over and wrapped his arm around the senior leader.
Francis began to list all Shead's accomplishments.
“It's a testament to all your hard work,” Francis told Shead. “You deserve everything you got. I've seen it with my own eyes.” Shead bowed his head.
“We were right there,” Walker said. “We were really close.”