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Adam Teicher, ESPN Staff WriterMar 30, 2024, 01:57 AM ET
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- Covered Chiefs for 20 seasons for Kansas City Star
- Signed up with ESPN in 2013
DALLAS– Kelvin Sampson stated there is no gamer in the nation better to his group than Jamal Shead is to Houston. Shead is the Big 12 gamer of the year, a first-team All-American and Houston's finest protector.
“He's the body and soul of this group,” Sampson stated. “We do not have another Jamal. He was the very best gamer on the flooring tonight. He's been the very best gamer on the flooring every video game we played this year other than a couple of.
“We got a 1-seed since of his management, his durability, his capability to make everyone much better.”
The Cougars, the front runner in the South Region, played without Shead for much of their Sweet 16 loss to fourth-seeded Duke. Shead played 13 minutes in the very first half and scored 2 points before spraining his ankle.
He didn't return, viewing the 2nd half from the bench as Houston lost 54-51. Duke carries on to Sunday's Elite Eight video game versus NC State.
Sampson stated Shead would have missed out on the remainder of the competition even if Houston had actually advanced.
“I could not truly put any pressure on it or stroll,” Shead stated. “I could not return out there. I dislike that it ended like this. I want I might have returned out there and a minimum of remained in the battle.
“I understood that if I played it most likely would have been a various result or I hope it would have.”
The Cougars kept the video game close, however Emanuel Sharp missed out on a 3-point shot in the last seconds that would have sent out the video game to overtime.
“We remained in a position to win the video game without Jamal,” Sampson stated. “With Jamal, it's a completely various story, however that's neither here nor there, is it?
“It does not seem like a reasonable battle. You would need to take possibly 2 of theirs to equivalent among Jamal. That's how great he was. He's a first-team All American. You do not have another among those. You do not have the very best protective gamer in the Big 12. You do not have a guy that made all the huge shots at the end.”
Nearly echoing Sampson, Duke coach Jon Scheyer stated, “Shead is the supreme rival and winner. There's no replacement for him.”
Sampson stated he thought the Cougars sufficed to reach the Final Four however for injuries. The Cougars lost guards Terrance Arceneaux and Joseph Tugler to injuries previously in the season.
Rather, Houston stopped working to reach the Final Four for the 2nd straight season as a No. 1 seed.
“Sometimes that's simply God's work,”Sampson stated. “It simply wasn't our time.”
