Houston Basketball: 2023-24 season preview for the Cougars
Projected starting lineup
Point Guard: Jamal Shead
Jamal Shead is a returning floor general for Houston who’s quite the two-way presence on the hardwood. He finished the 2022-23 season with 10.5 ppg, 5.4 apg, 3.0 rpg and 1.7 spg on 31 percent shooting from deep and 41.5 percent from the field. He returns as the Cougars’ biggest disruptor in the backcourt after taking home the AAC Defensive Player of the Year award this past season.
He finished first in the conference and 20th in all of college basketball in assists (200), third in the conference in steals (63) and fifth in the conference in defensive rating (92.0) in 2022-23. He’ll look to inject his offensive and defensive pedigree into the Big 12 as he enters his senior season.
Shooting Guard – L.J. Cryer
L.J. Cryer joins the Houston Cougars rotation after spending the past three seasons with the Baylor Bears, now a conference foe for them. Cryer was a third-team All-Big 12 performer in 2022-23 after averaging 15 ppg, 2.1 rpg and 2.1 apg on 41.5 percent shooting from behind the arc. He has the chance to be a frontrunner for Big 12 Player of the Year by season’s end if all goes accordingly for him. He led the conference in 3-point field goal percentage and finished fifth in the conference in 3-pointers made (80) this past season with a whole lot more to prove with the Cougars as he closes out his college basketball career.
Shooting Guard/wing: Damian Dunn
Damian Dunn joins Houston’s rotation as a familiar face given he played for Temple in the AAC for the past four seasons. He joins the Cougars as a graduate transfer with quite the edge at 6-foot-5 as a shotmaker and playmaker. He’ll give them a veteran guard who can also create for others and rebound the ball alongside his ability to shoot the basketball. He finished the 2022-23 season with 15.3 ppg, 3.7 rpg and 3.0 apg on 34.8 percent shooting from deep and 41.1 percent shooting from the field. He’s a strong presence who can also interchange with Arceneaux on the wing.
Power Forward: J’Wan Roberts
J’Wan Roberts is another returner for the Cougars who should boost their defensive presence, especially in the painted area with his abilities. Roberts was last year’s AAC Most Improved Player recipient after producing 10 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 1.3 bpg and 1.2 apg across 37 appearances in the starting rotation. He’s a wiry 6-foot-7 forward who knows how to make his presence felt in more ways than one. He finished second in the conference in blocks (49) while finishing first in offensive rating (130.6) and second in defensive rating (87.2). He returns as another player with the potential to continue to improve on the production front with departures from last season.
Center/Forward: Ja’Vier Francis
Ja’Vier Francis is another player in the Houston lineup who’s due to grow as he enters his third season on the roster. He’s due to emerge in the starting rotation after posting solid production across the past two seasons. He’s made 53 appearances so far for the Cougars, putting up 3.2 ppg and 2.6 rpg. In 2022-23, he finished with 4.3 ppg, 3.5 rpg and 1.1 bpg across 10.3 minutes per game. He registered a defensive rating of 81.3 when on the hardwood as a sophomore. With a bigger role on the horizon in 2023-24, look for his name to grow in the frontcourt given his defensive potential.