Get to know J'Wan Roberts, Houston's only holdover from last Final Four squad
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J’Wan Roberts is the lone holdover from the last Houston basketball squad to reach a Final Four.
He got to see minimal action in that Final Four, a lopsided loss to Baylor in the 2021 semifinals - one minute and 46 seconds to be exact with no other stats.
Roberts, a 6-foot-8 graduate forward, figures to see plenty of court time this go-round as the Cougars have made it back to the Final Four. Houston plays against Duke on Saturday night in San Antonio’s Alamodome.
It will be the culmination of a long career for Roberts in a Houston uniform, spending six seasons with the Cougar program. He is the winningest athlete in program history with a 148-23 record, meaning Roberts can get to 150 should Houston win its first-ever national title.
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Roberts is averaging in double figures with 10.7 points per game, and is the team’s leading rebounder, averaging 6.3 boards.
On Friday, during a press conference at the Alamodome, Roberts reflected on his long journey through Houston’s program and his relationship with coach Kelvin Sampson.
Roberts on his early days playing at Houston
“When I first got here at 17 (in the 2019-20 season), I had a lot of guys that I could learn from. DeJon (Jarreau), Brison (Gresham), Justin (Gorham), Fabian (White Jr.). Those guys, they took me under their wing as vets.
“I didn't know what I was getting myself into when I first got to the University of Houston. I didn't know what culture was. I didn't know the ins and outs of it.
“I think those guys helped me along the way, especially when I redshirted (in 2019-20). I took a lot of notes from those guys, learned as much as I can. As years went by, I kind of understood the system. I just surrendered.”
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Roberts on his relationship with coach Kelvin Sampson
“(I’ve been) with coach for six years, I kind of understood what he was doing. At first, I didn't know why he was screaming at me so much. I don't know why he ran me so much.
“I didn’t know what it was until I see that he only wants the best for me. He always wants me to go out and play to the best of my ability and help as much of those guys that I can.
“I learned so much from Coach Sampson on how to be a practice player every day, how to be a leader every day. I will probably text coach once every two months. I appreciate him for giving me the opportunity to play at the University of Houston. I appreciate him for taking the time out to coach me and make me the man I am today.
“I can honestly say I look at him as my second father. I can honestly say that he taught me so much from 17 years old to 23. I feel like being a vet on this team now, I play for him. He put in so much blood, sweat and tears into the program, into us, to want to see us do good. Just being a vet, I try to do the best to lead by example and try to make him proud.”
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Roberts on other Cougar teammates, past and present
“Having guys like LJ (Cryer) coming over from Baylor, he won a national championship (in 2021, beating Roberts and Houston in the semifinals). He knows how to win. Playing with Marcus (Sasser), playing with Jamal (Shead), Quentin (Grimes), all those guys are great players that helped me along the way.
“Me being in my sixth year, I have a different role on this team now. Mercy (Miller), Ced (Lath), Chase (McCarty), those younger guys, look at this program as a winning program, (and) see me as being here the longest.”
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Roberts on how the Cougars’ trademark intense practices carry over into their games
“I mean, that's all we know. Coach has a standard that he comes into practice with every day, and that's play hard and compete. He always says, ‘Competing is a competition, whether it's a rebound.’ … It's who wants it more.
“I feel like when we go into games, it makes it a lot more easier because practices are so hard. When you practice a certain way in practice, when you get to the game, it's like the team's not ready for this, but we are.
“If we ever match up with a team that's similar to us intensity-wise, I feel like we always have the upper hand because we've been doing this since June, before the season started. Going into games with the intensity of making teams uncomfortable or playing hard, I think that's what gets us going.”
