Houston Basketball: Could Jamal Shead become a 1st round NBA Draft pick?!

Big 12 Player of the Year. National Defensive Player of the Year. Consensus First Team All-American. Houston Cougar point guard Jamal Shead has no shortage of accolades after the 2023-24 season. The Coogs were upset in the Sweet 16 by Jared McCain, Kyle Filipowski and the Duke Blue Devils... but only after Shead's ankle injury derailed Kelvin Sampson's gameplan. But individually, what could make Shead's year even more spectacular? Being drafted in the first round.

The NBA Draft is weird in that, for all of his collegiate accolades, Jamal Shead's draft status is not a sure fire thing. He was, with little to no argument, the best point guard -if not best player- in all of college basketball last season. But there are some mock drafts that have the Austin native falling to the back end of the second round, if not out of the draft entirely.

But at the NBA combine this week, Jamal Shead's intentions are clear: he's a first rounder.

Shead measured in at just over six-feet tall, and just over 200 lbs. He raced through the sprinting drills with impressive times, and his standing reach and vertical leap both dispelled some of the concerns in his size. But where he really performed? On the floor.

You know, the basketball court... the place where the games get played? Turns out Jamal Shead is still pretty good at that.

On a floor with Bronny James, KJ Simpson, Ajay Mitchell, AJ Johnson, and more... Shead stood out in a big way. And, to his benefit, the national media noticed.

Will Jamal sneak into the first round, like his former teammate Marcus Sasser did with the Detroit Pistons a year ago? Will he be more undeniably a future pro than that? Time will tell... but in the meantime, Shead continues to impress on the floor.