Jamal Shead Joining Kevin Durant as a Big 12 Player of the Year Winner All Started With Houston Assistant Kellen Sampson’s Early Belief — Inside the Journey

On the night his son Jamal Shead wins Big 12 Player of the Year, Elvin Shead finds himself thinking back to when it all started, when University of Houston assistant Kellen Sampson became the first coach from a major college to start recruiting Jamal. Jamal Shead was no one’s idea of can’t-miss prospect back then — no one saw a future Player of the Year in the best basketball conference in America. His near hometown school, the University of Texas, didn’t bother to recruit him at all.

But Houston almost immediately made Jamal Shead a priority. Soon the entire UH basketball coaching staff became a regular presence in the Shead family world.

“Coach Kellen was the initiator, but the entire staff recruited Jamal,” Elvin Shead tells PaperCity. “And the family. And this (award night) has been a long time coming. Jamal was 15 when we first met the staff. It’s been a long time coming. Six years in the making.”

Kelvin Sampson’s Houston staff saw something in this 6-foot-1 point guard, the rim attacker who’d come to be known as Manor Mal in his hometown, that many others missed. Mainly the toughness and determination that would allow Shead to develop into the best player, the most impactful winner, in the toughest basketball conference in the land.

“Coach Kellen was an awesome recruiter,” Jamal Shead says. “One of the first dudes that ever recruited me. And he took me in like a little brother from day one. Not trying to lie to me. Told me the truth. Told me I’d have to work for everything I’d get.

“And he’s been by my side through ups and downs since I’ve been here.”

Shead fills up box scores, but his overall stats this season — 13.2 points, 6.2 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game — don’t blow anyone away at first glance. But Shead’s unmatched leadership, his world class defense and impact on winning for a 28-3, (15-3 Big 12) Houston team do.

Jamal Shead winning Big 12 Player of the Year (with the conference’s.coaches voting on the award) is a win for basketball as the game should be played. Good luck finding an Oscar win that makes that kind of statement.

“One thing we taught Jamal is that scoring is great — all that stuff,” Elvin Shead says. “But how do you impact the game in other ways when the ball’s not going in the hole and you’re just frustrated with not scoring or anything like that? How do you impact the game and help your team?”

Elvin Shead was Jamal’s first old school coach. Elvin and Lysa Shead, who both served in US Army, started the Capital City Youth Association in Manor, the fast-growing Austin suburb, back in 2006. In fact, Lysa Shead quickly became Kelvin Sampson’s biggest advocate in the Shead household for something she recognized immediately.

“(Kelvin) coaches a lot like my husband,” Lysa Shead tells PaperCity.

“Coach Kellen was the initiator, but the entire staff recruited Jamal. And the family. And this (award night) has been a long time coming. Jamal was 15 when we first met the staff. It’s been a long time coming. Six years in the making.” — Elvin Shead

Now, the Sheads have seen their son’s relationship with Kelvin Sampson, UH’s 68-year-old basketball lifer of a coach, evolve over the years on several levels. And it means something to the Sheads that Kelvin Sampson wins Big 12 Coach of the Year on the same night that Jamal Shead wins Big 12 Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year.

“That relationship is unique in its own way,” Elvin Shead says of the Sampson-Shead, coach-point guard bond. “You know — you see — the love and commitment to one another. It’s there. It’s there.”

That love extends to the UH stars who came before Shead. They celebrated his Big 12 Player of the Year award like they’d won it themselves.

“I’d say that every single one of my former teammates reached out,” Jamal Shead says. “From DeJon (Jarreau) to Marcus (Sasser) to Quentin (Grimes). They all texted me or FaceTimed me in the past 24 hours and said how much they were proud of me. And just to keep going.”

Some bonds never break.

“Coach Kellen (Sampson) was an awesome recruiter. One of the first dudes that ever recruited me. And he took me in like a little brother from day one. Not trying to lie to me. Told me the truth. Told me I’d have to work for everything I’d get. And he’s been by my side through ups and downs since I’ve been here.” — UH point guard Jamal Shead

On Big 12 Awards night, the Sheads also find themselves touched by all the people from Jamal’s childhood who reach out. People impacted by their son. People who feel like they’re part of this moment. Youth coaches. Former teachers. Old friends.

Elvin and Lysa Shead let Jamal know how proud they are of him — and “That there’s still work to do,” Elvin Shead laughs — but in many ways this Big 12 Player of the Year honor is still settling in. With past winners like Kevin Durant, Blake Griffin, Marcus Smart and Cade Cunningham, this is a special fraternity to be in.

“It’s still. . . My wife are still looking at each other in awe,” Elvin Shead says. “It’s an amazing feeling as parents. It also goes to show that Coach Sampson and his staff — Coach Kellen, Coach Quannas (White), HP (Hollis Price) and the guys, the work that they put in and continue to put in with him — and the way they push him — it’s amazing.”

Jamal Shead, UH’s Elite Player Development and Sharing the Love

This is a major win for University of Houston’s player development system too.

Seeing LJ Cryer, the Baylor transfer who shares a backcourt with Jamal Shead, get some recognition (Second Team All Big 12), along with senior power forward J’Wan Roberts (Third Team All Big 12), freshman power forward JoJo Tugler (Big 12 All Freshman team), center Ja’Vier Francis (Honorable Mention All Big 12) and guard Emanuel Sharp (Honorable Mention All Big 12), also means something to the Sheads.

“LJ Cryer’s been a big plus to help him,” Elvin Shead says. “J’Wan as well. So there’s still some shared leadership. But he’s got to be on top of his game. And again, he’s got to make sure everybody’s doing what they’re supposed to do.”

For Jamal Shead, being the leader does not allow for much time to celebrate. Winning Big 12 Player of the Year is great. It’s monumental. But it’s not the end of Shead’s Houston journey.