The No. 1 Houston Cougars have been battling through injuries to their backcourt this season and now have another member down. Senior guard Jamal Shead was going up for a layup against No. 4 Duke Blue Devils during their Sweet 16 clash and appeared to have twisted his right ankle. He would remain down for a bit and had to be helped to the locker room.
According to the television broadcast, Shead is listed as questionable to return but he was shown to be using a scooter to get around, not applying any pressure on his ankle.
Shead was not having a good game shooting against the Blue Devils, but was contributing everywhere else. He went 1-for-5 from the floor with two points, one rebound, three assists and a pair of steals before leaving the game.
Who else has been injured for the Houston Cougars this season?
The guard position has dealt with injuries throughout the season and coach Kelvin Sampson has been limiting his rotation as a result. The first injury was to Terance Arcenaux as he suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon in December.
Next was Ramon Walker Jr. as he suffered a meniscus tear that kept him sidelined for the conclusion of the regular season, but has been able to return to some action during the NCAA Tournament.
Can Houston Cougars advance to Elite 8 if Jamal Shead is out of the game?
The Duke Blue Devils currently hold a 23-22 halftime lead and were able to go on a 13-6 run after Jamal Shead's injury late in the first half. However, with a chance to regroup, the Cougars' defense has been able to limit good looks and they have failed to make a single 3-point field goal in the first half.
A lot of things seemingly went wrong for the Houston Cougars in the first half but they are only down a single point.
Dawn Staley, Geno Auriemma, or Kim Mulkey - who is NCAAW's highest-paid coach? Find out here