BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — While the stage is bigger and the lights are brighter, Jamal Shead has a message for his freshmen teammates as Houston, the Midwest’s No. 1 seed, gets ready to begin its NCAA Tournament run — keep it simple.
“Be yourself,” Shead said. “Your best is enough. Shoot when you’re open. Be confident in yourself. Be confident in your work.”
Unlike previous UH teams under Kelvin Sampson, the 2022-23 Cougars have had to rely more on freshmen than ever before.
Jarace Walker, a five-star recruit out of IMG Academy, has started 32 games and played the third most minutes on the team, trailing only Shead and Sasser.