Kelvin Sampson Says 2 Houston Legends Deserve Jersey Retirement
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Only a few days ago, Papercity broke the news that former Houston Cougar Dwight Davis, would have his jersey retired in early 2026. When the Arizona State Sun Devils visit Houston on Jan. 18th, Davis' name will be immortalized in the Fertitta Center rafters alongside some of the greatest players in program history.
Just days later, head coach Kelvin Sampson told Papercity Magazine that both Jamal Shead and Marcus Sasser deserve the same honors for their significant contributions to Houston basketball's recent dominance. Entering his 12th season as the Cougars' head coach, Sampson says that he would like to see Shead's and Sasser's jerseys retired while he's still coaching at the University of Houston.
"I don’t know if I’ll be around to see it, but Marcus Sasser needs his jersey retired," Sampson told Papercity. "Jamal Shead, he’s going to have his jersey retired. And it should be done sooner rather than later...I realize that these guys are still playing, but I hope I’m here the day they get their jersey retired."
The Case for Sasser and Shead
It's an understatement to say that Sasser and Shead helped establish the Houston Cougars as a dominant force in college basketball. The awards for the two former Cougars speak for themselves.
Across four seasons at Houston, Sasser put together one of the most impressive résumés that the college basketball world has ever seen. Sasser was a consensus First Team All-American in 2023 and winner of the Jerry West award being labeled as the country's top shooting guard.
The former Cougar earned countless All-American honors and was named the conference Player of the Week on four separate occasions. Sasser also helped lead Houston to its first Final Four appearance under Coach Sampson in 2021.
Shead built an equally impressive résumé of his own during his time with the Cougars. While the Manor, Texas native earned Big 12 Player of the Year honors, he was known being one of the nation's top defenders. Shead was named the 2023-24 Naismith National Defensive Player of the Year, Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, and was also a unanimous First Team All-American.
Same as Sasser, Shead also earned many other honors including the Big 12 Male Athlete of the Year award, the 2023-24 NABC All-District 8 First Team award, and the Nolan Richardson award.
The Statistics Don't Lie
While Sasser's and Shead's accomplishments might be numerous, there's one thing that's for certain. The two former Cougars were dominant each year they stepped foot on the court.
In four seasons with Houston, Sasser appeared in 107 total games while making 93 career starts. Averaging 29.3 minutes played, the guard ended his career at Houston putting up 13.6 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game. Sasser also became the seventh Cougar to reach 200 three pointers made and became the 50th Cougar to reach 1,000 career points.
Shead totaled 137 appearances making 107 career starts for the Cougars across four seasons. The guard from Manor, Texas native ended his career under Coach Sampson averaging 9.7 points, 5.0 assists, and 2.8 rebounds for Houston while shooting over 41% from the floor. Shead also totaled 225 steals for the Cougars across four seasons.
It's easy to see why Coach Sampson believes both of his former players deserve to have their jerseys retired. While the head coach may be biased due to his relationship with Sasser and Shead, their accomplishments at the University of Houston definitely deserve to be recognized in the future.
