POLISH THE HARDWARE
Big 12 coaches pick Houston guard as player of year and top defender
Mar 11, 2024, 9:13 am
Jamal Shead is taking home some hardware. Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images.
Houston senior point guard Jamal Shead was voted by Big 12 coaches as the conference's player of the year after helping lead the top-ranked Cougars to the regular-season title in their inaugural season in the league.
Shead, also tabbed as the top defensive player, was the only unanimous pick on the first team announced Sunday. He goes into the postseason averaging 13.2 points, 6.2 assists and 2.3 steals.
The other first-team picks were Kansas senior center Hunter Dickinson, the Michigan transfer who was also newcomer of the year, along with Iowa State sophomore guard Tamin Lipsey, Kansas guard Kevin McCullar Jr. and Texas forward Dylan Disu.
Kelvin Sampson of the Cougars (28-3) was named by his Big 12 peers as coach of the year.
Baylor guard Ja'Kobe Walter was picked as freshman of the year.
The Associated Press will release its All-Big 12 teams and individual awards Tuesday.
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Oswald Peraza hit a two-run single in the ninth inning to help the Los Angeles Angels snap a three-game losing skid by beating the Houston Astros 4-1 on Saturday night.
Peraza entered the game as a defensive replacement in the seventh inning and hit a bases-loaded fly ball to deep right field that eluded the outstretched glove of Cam Smith. It was the fourth straight hit off Astros closer Bryan Abreu (3-4), who had not allowed a run in his previous 12 appearances.
The Angels third run of the ninth inning scored when Mike Trout walked with the bases loaded.
Kyle Hendricks allowed one run while scattering seven hits over six innings. He held the Astros to 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position, the one hit coming on Jesús Sánchez’s third-inning infield single that scored Jeremy Peña.
Reid Detmers worked around a leadoff walk to keep the Astros scoreless in the seventh, and José Fermin (3-2) retired the side in order in the eighth before Kenley Jansen worked a scoreless ninth to earn his 24th save.
Houston’s Spencer Arrighetti struck out a season-high eight batters over 6 1/3 innings. The only hit he allowed was Zach Neto’s third-inning solo home run.
Yordan Alvarez had two hits for the Astros, who remained three games ahead of Seattle for first place in the AL West.
Key moment
Peraza’s two-run single to deep right field that broke a 1-1 tie in the ninth.
Key Stat
Opponents were 5 for 44 against Abreu in August before he allowed four straight hits in the ninth.
Up next
Astros RHP Hunter Brown (10-6, 2.37 ERA) faces RHP José Soriano (9-9, 3.85) when the series continues Sunday.