MARCH MADNESS
Injuries a factor in Cougars' Sweet 16 loss to Duke
Apr 3, 2024, 10:56 am
Tough break for the Coogs. Photo via: Wiki Commons.
Jamal Shead buried his head in his arms at his locker as reporters shuffled away from their postgame interview with the Houston point guard.
The top-seeded Cougars had just lost to Duke 54-51 in the Sweet 16 on Friday night, with Shead missing the final 26 minutes after the All-American sprained his right ankle.
“You say, well, who is your point guard to replace Jamal?” coach Kelvin Sampson said. “We don’t have a point guard to replace Jamal. We’ve had guys to go in and rest him, but get him back in.”
There was no going back in for Shead, and no moving on to the Elite Eight for the third time in his four years with the Cougars, which included a Final Four run when he was a freshman in 2021.
The fortunes of the Cougars changed dramatically with 6 1/2 minutes left in the first half when Shead planted his foot on a drive, turning it awkwardly as he continued the play and missed a contested layup.
In obvious pain, Shead went to the floor under the basket, reached at his foot and then pulled his jersey up over his face. After being tended to by an athletic trainer, Shead walked gingerly past the Houston bench and into the tunnel toward the locker room.
It was a different kind of pain as he rested his head on the left shoulder of teammate Ja'Vier Francis in a somber Houston locker room.
“I hate that it ended like this,” Shead said. “I wish I could have got back out there and at least been in the fight. It would have been different if I could have at least limped around a little bit and fought a little bit. Just been in the fight with them until the end. It didn’t happen that way.”
X-rays showed no fracture and Shead's injury was diagnosed as a severely sprained ankle, CBS Sports reported.
The CBS broadcast at halftime showed video of Shead coming out of the locker room, using a scooter with his right knee resting on that, and no sock or shoe on the foot he hurt, while using his left leg to move.
Shead spent the second half on the bench, a black warmup top covering his jersey but still in shorts. There was never any indication he would return.
After Emanuel Sharp's 3-point attempt in the final seconds fell short and fourth-seeded Duke inbounded to run out the clock, Shead stayed in his seat for a couple of minutes before limping off the floor toward the locker room.
“It doesn’t feel like a fair fight,” Sampson said. “You would have to take maybe two of theirs to equal one of Jamal. That’s how good he was. You don’t have another one of those. You don’t have the best defensive player in the Big 12. You don’t have a guy that made all the big shots at the end.”
Shead had two points on 1-of-5 shooting with three assists and two steals while playing the first 13 minutes.
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A new challenge awaits, and the Astros know what’s at stake
Jun 27, 2025, 2:05 pm
The Houston Astros didn’t just sweep the Philadelphia Phillies. They sent a message.
In three tightly contested games against one of the best teams in baseball, the Astros leaned on their elite pitching and timely offense to secure a statement sweep. Hunter Brown was electric in the finale, shutting down the Phillies’ lineup and showing the kind of dominance that’s become a defining feature of his game. Bryan Abreu slammed the door with four strikeouts to close out the win, and rookie Cam Smith delivered the deciding blow — an RBI single in the eighth to drive in Isaac Paredes, lifting the Astros to a 2-1 victory.
It wasn’t a series filled with offensive fireworks, but that’s exactly the point. Both teams sent out top-tier pitching throughout the series, and Houston was the team that kept finding a way. For much of the season, the Astros’ inconsistent offense might’ve been a concern in a series like this. But this time, it felt different. The bats showed up just enough, and the pitching did the rest.
Now, with Houston on pace for 96 wins at the halfway point, the question becomes: Is the league officially on notice?
Maybe. Maybe not. But one thing is certain, the Astros have the third-best record in baseball, they’re 17-7 in one-run games, and they’re playing with the kind of rhythm that’s defined their near-decade of dominance. Unlike last year’s uneven campaign, this version of the Astros looks like a team that’s rediscovered its edge. Whether or not they need to take care of business against the Cubs to validate it, their recent run leaves little doubt: when Houston is clicking, there are very few teams built to stop them.
Off the field, however, a bit of long-term uncertainty is starting to creep in. Reports surfaced this week that extension talks with shortstop Jeremy Peña have been put on hold as he recently signed with super-agent Scott Boras. The combination has led many to wonder if Peña might follow the same free-agent path as Alex Bregman, Carlos Correa, and others before him. Boras clients rarely settle early, and Peña, now one of the most valuable shortstops in the game, could command a price tag the Astros have historically avoided paying.
If Peña and even Hunter Brown are likely to get priced out of Houston, the front office may need to pivot. Isaac Paredes could be the most logical extension candidate on the roster. His approach — particularly his ability to pull the ball with authority — is tailor-made for Daikin Park and the Crawford Boxes. Last year, Paredes struggled to leave the yard at Wrigley Field, but in Houston, he’s thriving. Locking him in long term would give the Astros offensive stability and the kind of value they’ve typically targeted.
As for Cam Smith, the breakout rookie is far from free agency and will remain a cost-controlled piece for years. That’s exactly why his contributions now, like his clutch eighth-inning knock to beat Philadelphia, matter so much. He's one more reason why the Astros don’t just look good right now. They look dangerous.
And the rest of the league is starting to feel it.
There's so much more to get to! Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday.
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