DALLAS — Kelvin Sampson stated there isn’t a participant within the nation extra precious to his group than Jamal Shead is to Houston. Shead is the Massive 12 participant of the yr, a first-team All-American and Houston’s greatest defender.
“He is the guts and soul of this group,” Sampson stated. “We do not have one other Jamal. He was the perfect participant on the ground tonight. He is been the perfect participant on the ground each sport we performed this yr besides a couple of.
“We received a 1-seed due to his management, his toughness, his means to make everyone higher.”
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The Cougars, the highest seed within the South Area, performed with out Shead for a lot of their Candy 16 loss to fourth-seeded Duke. Shead performed 13 minutes within the first half and scored two factors earlier than spraining his ankle.
He did not return, watching the second half from the bench as Houston misplaced 54-51. Duke strikes on to Sunday’s Elite Eight sport towards NC State.
Sampson stated Shead would have missed the remainder of the match even when Houston had superior.
“I could not actually put any stress on it or stroll,” Shead stated. “I could not return on the market. I hate that it ended like this. I want I might have gotten again on the market and at the least been within the struggle.
“I knew that if I performed it in all probability would have been a special consequence or I hope it might have.”
The Cougars stored the sport shut, however Emanuel Sharp missed a 3-point attempt within the ultimate seconds that may have despatched the sport to extra time.
“We have been able to win the sport with out Jamal,” Sampson stated. “With Jamal, it is a completely totally different story, however that is neither right here nor there, is it?
“It would not really feel like a good struggle. You would need to take possibly two of theirs to equal considered one of Jamal. That is how good he was. He is a first-team All American. You do not have one other a kind of. You do not have the perfect defensive participant within the Massive 12. You do not have a man that made all the massive pictures on the finish.”
Nearly echoing Sampson, Duke coach Jon Scheyer stated, “Shead is the last word competitor and winner. There is not any substitute for him.”
Sampson stated he believed the Cougars have been adequate to succeed in the Ultimate 4 however for accidents. The Cougars misplaced guards Terrance Arceneaux and Joseph Tugler to accidents earlier within the season.
As an alternative, Houston failed to succeed in the Ultimate 4 for the second straight season as a No. 1 seed.
“Generally that is simply God’s work,” Sampson stated. “It simply wasn’t our time.”
