Shead on buzzer beater to cap UH regular season: 'God willing, I was able to make that shot'

All throughout a season in which it didn’t leave the top three of every national poll, the top-ranked University of Houston (UH) Cougars men’s basketball team demonstrated it has what it takes to possibly win it all not too far from Fertitta Center next month.

Riding an 11-game winning streak and taking a much-needed breather in the form of a bye in the upcoming American Athletic Conference (AAC) tournament, the program now has the No. 1 overall seed in the Big Dance in its sights.

The Kelvin Sampson-led Cougars capped their 2022-2023 campaign on Sunday by fending off an upset attempt by the University of Memphis on the road, winning 85-83 over the Tigers to begin a highly anticipated postseason run.

Per a program-issued press release, junior guard Jamal Shead followed what’s arguably his best game of the year – UH’s 83-66 victory over Wichita State on Saturday – with a play that will likely be included in certain highlight videos, a buzzer-beating shot to lift the Cougars.

"I knew coach (Kelvin Sampson) wouldn't call time out because we've been in that situation before and he trusts me," Shead, who played his prep ball in the Austin area, said in the release. "God willing, I was able to make that shot."

Shead’s weekend heroics subsequently earned him AAC Player of the Week honors. 

According to CBS Sports, UH, which finished with a 29-2 overall record that included an impressive 17-1 showing in conference play, held on to the top spot in the latest and final Associated Press (AP) Top 25 poll that was released on Monday. 

The Cougars’ 58 first-place votes was their largest share of first-place votes all year.

The next time UH hits the floor is Friday when it faces the winner of the No. 8 vs. No. 9 game in the tournament, which is the school’s last as a member of the AAC, per the program’s release.

Next year will be the Cougars’ first in the Big 12 Conference.