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Houston Welcomes Three on Signing Day
11/13/2019 3:37:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Dickinson High School guard Tramon Mark, Bosse High School center Kiyron Powell and Manor High School guard Jamal Shead join the Cougars
HOUSTON – The University of Houston Men's Basketball program and Head Coach Kelvin Sampson welcomed three award-winning high school stars to Houston with their signings of National Letters of Intent on Wednesday.
Dickinson High School guard Tramon Mark, Benjamin Bosse High School center Kiyron Powell and Manor High School guard Jamal Shead each will compete as freshmen with the Cougars and have four years of eligibility beginning with the 2019-20 season.
Together, they place Houston among the nation's Top-20 signing classes. The group ranks No. 17 by 247Sports, No. 18 by Scout and No. 22 by Rivals as of Wednesday evening.
Mark, who stands 6-foot-5 and weighs 180 pounds, competed at the NBA Top 100 Camp in Charlottesville, Va., and led that event in assists.
Photo courtesy of Houston Chronicle / Leslie Plaza Johnson
"The first time I evaluated Tramon, I was watching someone else play in that game, but I noticed Tramon as a 10th grader, and I thought he was going to be pretty good. He grew up and got tougher. Tramon can play all three perimeter positions. If you asked me what my perfect backcourt would be, it would be guards of different lengths that can all play point guard and shoot. Tramon is a lot like that," Sampson said. "We are focused on getting length in our wings. Tramon is a good basketball player. He has a high basketball IQ. He can score, pass it and rebound. We think he can develop into an outstanding player here."
As a junior for Head Coach Jason Wilson during the 2018-19 season, Mark – whose first name is pronounced Truh-Mon – averaged 26.5 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game on the way to being named to the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches Class 6A All-State Team. He scored 52 points in a win over Manvel High School and totaled 23 points with 12 rebounds in a win over Clear Creek High School.
For his impressive efforts, Mark was named to the Houston Chronicle All-Greater Houston First Team.
"Tramon handles the ball well. He can score the ball inside mid-range and behind the arc. He is just a special talent," Wilson said. "For the four years I have had Tramon, he has been exceptional. He has represented our program the right way, on and off the court. Tramon will fit right in at Houston, and that is a testament to his parents and his family. He has been great. I couldn't ask for a better leader of this program."
Mark was named the District 24-6A Offensive Most Valuable Player as a sophomore in 2017-18 after posting 18.6 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.3 steals per game. He was recognized as the District Newcomer of the Year with 15.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 2.3 steals per game as a freshman in 2016-17.
Standing 6-foot-10 and weighing 205 pounds, Powell is the tallest member of the Cougars' signing class.
"Kiyron is naturally aggressive and a good shot blocker and rim protector. He is coming in as the best skilled big man we have had. Kiyron's range is 18-feet in. He can shoot it, he can block shots and is a very good athlete,' Sampson said. "Kiyron is a player that will develop here. He has wide shoulders and a great frame. When he puts on more weight, he has a chance to be really good."
Competing for Head Coach Shane Burkhart, Powell – whose first name is pronounced Kee-Ron – has established himself as of the nation's elite high school shot blockers, ranking among the country's Top-Three leaders in each of the last two years.
He chose Houston over Kansas State, Western Kentucky, Creighton and others.
As a junior, he averaged 10.6 points, 10.9 rebounds and 6.8 blocks per game and was named to the Indiana Junior All-Star Team during the summer. He totaled 12 double-doubles that year.
In 2017-18, he averaged 8.9 rebounds per contest and led the state with 7.3 blocks per game. Powell helped lead the Bulldogs to the state championship game.
"Kiyron is selfless. Offensively, he is growing by leaps and bounds, and defensively, he is extremely intelligent. He just has impeccable timing, and he understands angles to cut people off defensively. He is just now starting to scratch the surface as a complete ball player. As a sophomore, he had more blocked shots than shot attempts, and that tells you all you need to know about him," Burkhart said. "Kiyron is a lovable kid. He laughs a lot, and he smiles a lot. He will be a fan favorite immediately. Fans are really going to take to him and how he is."
Photo courtesy of Courier & Press / MaCabe Brown
Shead – whose name is pronounced Juh-Mall Shed – stands 6-foot-1 and weighs 175 pounds
"As we evaluated Jamal, the thing I like about Jamal was that the better players he played against, the better he played. He brings two things that are important in our program. He brings toughness, and he really guards the ball. He plays with a lot of energy. He is a very good ball handler, gets into the lane and can pass. When you bring in a guy like Jamal Shead, you are improving your team. He will help this program win. He is a winner. He comes from a great family. His mother and father are tremendous, and that's a big factor. He lives a disciplined life, and he is coming into a program that preaches discipline, so he will be a good fit for us."
Listed as a 4-star recruit by Rivals and ESPN, Shead chose Houston over Texas A&M, SMU, Colorado State and others.
As a junior for Head Coach Anthony Swain in 2018-19, Shead averaged 18.1 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 2.7 assists per game. Leading Manor High School to the state tournament for the first time in school history, Shead scored 44 points and dished out the game-winning assist with four seconds remaining in a win over Rudder High School in a Class 5A area playoff game.
He finished with a game-high 28 points in a win over Cedar Park High School in the Class 5A Regional III Quarterfinals.
Shead was honored as the District 18-5A Most Valuable Player was a finalist for the Austin American-Statesman Player of the Year.
"Jamal is just great to have. He is a floor general, he runs the show and he makes everyone around him better. He is a pass-first point guard, but he can also score the ball. He is very aggressive on the defensive side of the ball and likes to play defense," Swain said "He brings energy and is great in the classroom…. first one here, last one to leave. Teachers love him, and he is just a great all-around student.."
Shead was named the District 19-5A Offensive Most Valuable Player as a sophomore at Connally High School.
Photo courtesy of Austin-American Statesman / John Gutierrez
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Dickinson High School guard Tramon Mark, Benjamin Bosse High School center Kiyron Powell and Manor High School guard Jamal Shead each will compete as freshmen with the Cougars and have four years of eligibility beginning with the 2019-20 season.
Together, they place Houston among the nation's Top-20 signing classes. The group ranks No. 17 by 247Sports, No. 18 by Scout and No. 22 by Rivals as of Wednesday evening.
Mark, who stands 6-foot-5 and weighs 180 pounds, competed at the NBA Top 100 Camp in Charlottesville, Va., and led that event in assists.
Photo courtesy of Houston Chronicle / Leslie Plaza Johnson
"The first time I evaluated Tramon, I was watching someone else play in that game, but I noticed Tramon as a 10th grader, and I thought he was going to be pretty good. He grew up and got tougher. Tramon can play all three perimeter positions. If you asked me what my perfect backcourt would be, it would be guards of different lengths that can all play point guard and shoot. Tramon is a lot like that," Sampson said. "We are focused on getting length in our wings. Tramon is a good basketball player. He has a high basketball IQ. He can score, pass it and rebound. We think he can develop into an outstanding player here."As a junior for Head Coach Jason Wilson during the 2018-19 season, Mark – whose first name is pronounced Truh-Mon – averaged 26.5 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game on the way to being named to the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches Class 6A All-State Team. He scored 52 points in a win over Manvel High School and totaled 23 points with 12 rebounds in a win over Clear Creek High School.
For his impressive efforts, Mark was named to the Houston Chronicle All-Greater Houston First Team.
"Tramon handles the ball well. He can score the ball inside mid-range and behind the arc. He is just a special talent," Wilson said. "For the four years I have had Tramon, he has been exceptional. He has represented our program the right way, on and off the court. Tramon will fit right in at Houston, and that is a testament to his parents and his family. He has been great. I couldn't ask for a better leader of this program."
Mark was named the District 24-6A Offensive Most Valuable Player as a sophomore in 2017-18 after posting 18.6 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.3 steals per game. He was recognized as the District Newcomer of the Year with 15.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 2.3 steals per game as a freshman in 2016-17.
Standing 6-foot-10 and weighing 205 pounds, Powell is the tallest member of the Cougars' signing class.
"Kiyron is naturally aggressive and a good shot blocker and rim protector. He is coming in as the best skilled big man we have had. Kiyron's range is 18-feet in. He can shoot it, he can block shots and is a very good athlete,' Sampson said. "Kiyron is a player that will develop here. He has wide shoulders and a great frame. When he puts on more weight, he has a chance to be really good."
Competing for Head Coach Shane Burkhart, Powell – whose first name is pronounced Kee-Ron – has established himself as of the nation's elite high school shot blockers, ranking among the country's Top-Three leaders in each of the last two years.
He chose Houston over Kansas State, Western Kentucky, Creighton and others.
As a junior, he averaged 10.6 points, 10.9 rebounds and 6.8 blocks per game and was named to the Indiana Junior All-Star Team during the summer. He totaled 12 double-doubles that year.
In 2017-18, he averaged 8.9 rebounds per contest and led the state with 7.3 blocks per game. Powell helped lead the Bulldogs to the state championship game.
"Kiyron is selfless. Offensively, he is growing by leaps and bounds, and defensively, he is extremely intelligent. He just has impeccable timing, and he understands angles to cut people off defensively. He is just now starting to scratch the surface as a complete ball player. As a sophomore, he had more blocked shots than shot attempts, and that tells you all you need to know about him," Burkhart said. "Kiyron is a lovable kid. He laughs a lot, and he smiles a lot. He will be a fan favorite immediately. Fans are really going to take to him and how he is."
Photo courtesy of Courier & Press / MaCabe Brown
Shead – whose name is pronounced Juh-Mall Shed – stands 6-foot-1 and weighs 175 pounds
"As we evaluated Jamal, the thing I like about Jamal was that the better players he played against, the better he played. He brings two things that are important in our program. He brings toughness, and he really guards the ball. He plays with a lot of energy. He is a very good ball handler, gets into the lane and can pass. When you bring in a guy like Jamal Shead, you are improving your team. He will help this program win. He is a winner. He comes from a great family. His mother and father are tremendous, and that's a big factor. He lives a disciplined life, and he is coming into a program that preaches discipline, so he will be a good fit for us."
Listed as a 4-star recruit by Rivals and ESPN, Shead chose Houston over Texas A&M, SMU, Colorado State and others.
As a junior for Head Coach Anthony Swain in 2018-19, Shead averaged 18.1 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 2.7 assists per game. Leading Manor High School to the state tournament for the first time in school history, Shead scored 44 points and dished out the game-winning assist with four seconds remaining in a win over Rudder High School in a Class 5A area playoff game.
He finished with a game-high 28 points in a win over Cedar Park High School in the Class 5A Regional III Quarterfinals.
Shead was honored as the District 18-5A Most Valuable Player was a finalist for the Austin American-Statesman Player of the Year.
"Jamal is just great to have. He is a floor general, he runs the show and he makes everyone around him better. He is a pass-first point guard, but he can also score the ball. He is very aggressive on the defensive side of the ball and likes to play defense," Swain said "He brings energy and is great in the classroom…. first one here, last one to leave. Teachers love him, and he is just a great all-around student.."
Shead was named the District 19-5A Offensive Most Valuable Player as a sophomore at Connally High School.
Photo courtesy of Austin-American Statesman / John Gutierrez
STAY CONNECTED
Fans can receive updates by following @UHCougarMBK on Twitter and catch up with the latest news and notes on the team by clicking LIKE on the team' Facebook page at UHCougarMBK or by visiting the team's Instagram page at UHCougarMBK.
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