Age

21.0

Height

6'1"

Weight

190

Workload

MIN%

76.6

USG%

21.2

TS%

49.5

Per 70 Possession Stats

PTS

13.9

REB

4.3

AST

8.1

STL

2.2

BLK

0.4

TOV

2.8

Efficiency

RIM FG%

60.7

MID FG%

36.8

3PT FG%

29.8

FT%

80.2

Jump to full report

Report by: Neema Djavadzadeh

Jamal Shead

Guard University of Houston

Pure point guard with a tenacious demeanor and a true leader.

Age

21.0

Height

6'1"

Weight

190

Per 70 Possession Stats

PTS

13.9

REB

4.3

AST

8.1

STL

2.2

BLK

0.4

Positions Defended

Offensive Role

 

Defensive Role

   

Meet Jamal Shead.

A true point guard’s PG, Jamal Shead has been given the keys to the Houston Cougars and thrived in the role. On a competitive team with tons of talent, Shead has stood out as their leader and their battery. The former ESPN 4 star recruit now enters his Junior year under Kelvin Sampson, and looks to build onto his incredible NCAA tournament run from 2022. His defensive intensity and elite court mapping make him one of the best pure point guards in college basketball. With a full season at the helm of the Cougars offense, Shead could find himself in draft consideration this summer.

Offense

A conductor on the court, it’s hard to find Shead not giving instructions at any given time. Even when not on ball, Shead will be directing traffic on the wings, helping teammates find gaps and weaving the defense. However, Shead’s selling point is his playmaking ability on the ball. His patience in the pick and roll helps him find the roller at the perfect time. His passes are often extremely precise, hitting players in stride or in their shooting pocket. Shead tends to bounce from spot to spot, looking for openings and shifts in the defense, inevitably finding an open man. Shead’s playmaking at times is like a work of art. So much so, I had to put a personal favorite from my days as a piano player over clips of some of his best dimes. Enjoy Piazzolla’s “Libertango” and then come back to this report.

Shead’s proficiency as a passer and floor general mitigate where he struggles as a scorer, however it is still an issue. Despite an impressive 61% at the rim for a 6’1″ guard, Shead’s split are subpar. He shot just 37% from the mid-range, 30% from 3 and 33% on catch and shoot jumpers. All these metrics surely will need to improve if he is to be effective at the NBA level. By being a threat from the 3 point line, Shead could make it tough for defenses to deal with a player who can attack them with his skillset. Hitting catch and shoot opportunities will open up chances to attack closeouts. Shead’s playmaking ability will only benefit from getting these advantages.

Having an effective floater is crucial to being a good short guard. Shead has proven to have them in the bag and relies on the shot heavily despite a low FG%. Over 25% of Shead’s shot attempts in the 2022 season were floaters, connecting on 40.6% of them. Improvements on this shot could open up Houston’s offense, forcing defenders to respect Shead when getting to the nail. Making defenders step out will open up opportunities for bigs like Jarace Walker to get easy looks at the rim.

Defense

Despite being just 6’1″, Shead is a very capable defender. His stocky frame allows him to use his lower center of gravity to his advantage. He often bullies ball handlers, eating up their air space and getting underneath them. He excels at a lot of small guard things defensively: drawing charges, knocking balls loose, forcing players off-balance. Off-ball, Shead is again bouncy in nature. Constantly hopping from one side to the other of his defender, Shead is always looking for an advantage. This helps him disrupt passing lanes and dig into drivers who come nearby. If switched onto a longer player, Shead may be able to knock the ball ajar simply by being a pest, but often gets pushed aside by larger opponents.

His short-comings, well, come from being short. Shead is not a very switchable defender, although in Houston with a 3 guard lineup, is forced to do so often. The scrappy nature of the Cougars as a team helps mitigate their lack of size and Shead was a beneficiary of this system. He led the Cougars in total steals and deflections last season, and will look to do so again this year.

However, Shead is still the leader of the Cougars defensively as well. As their Primary POA defender, Shead is always in communication with his team on where to be and what’s going on. The full hustle defense that the Cougars play supports Shead. However, it could be expected for this style of play to continue at the next level. Despite the defensive style of the Cougars, Shead’s demeanor is likely not just a product of system. Many Kelvin Sampson players have been great defenders as pros, so Shead could be one of a handful of Cougars next in line.

Conclusion

Undersized, under-recruited and underrated. Jamal Shead is the leader of one of the best teams in the nation for the second year in a row and has shown no signs of slowing down. In his season opener against Northern Colorado, Shead scored 9 points and dished out 9 assists. The game became his 17th game with 1 or less assist dating back to last season. It was also his 9th nine assist game of his career. He now trails only St. Louis’ Yuri Collins in active players with 9+ assists in a game. Shead has proven to be one of the best point guards in college basketball, and with improvements in shooting can become a game manager at the next level. And if you won’t take my word for it, you can take his, as he blogs about his junior year under Kelvin Sampson.

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