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University of Houston Athletics
Men’s Basketball Receives NABC, USBWA All-District Awards
3/13/2023 10:54:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Kelvin Sampson named Coach of the Year; Guards Marcus Sasser & Jamal Shead, forward Jarace Walker earn recognition
This story was updated at 5:20 p.m., to include information about the United States Basketball Writers Association District VII honors, released Tuesday afternoon.
HOUSTON – In a busy day with awards, University of Houston Men's Basketball Coach and guards Marcus Sasser and Jamal Shead and forward Jarace Walker received various All-District honors from the National Association of Basketball Coaches District 24 and from the United States Basketball Writers Association District VII on Tuesday afternoon.
Sampson received the Coach of the Year honor from both districts. Sasser was named the Player of the Year for USBWA District VII and earned a place on both district's team and was joined on the NABC All-District 24 by Walker. Shead was named to the NABC All-District 24 Second Team and joined Sasser on the USBWA All-District VII squad.
The Cougar quartet led Houston to a 31-3 overall record with the program's third straight American Athletic Conference regular-season title, thanks to a 17-1 league mark.
Houston will compete as a No. 1 seed in this week's NCAA Tournament Midwest Region for only the second time in school history while making its fifth straight NCAA Tournament appearance, a first in program history.
Voting was done by NABC member coaches throughout NCAA Division I and by the USBWA national membership.
ABOUT KELVIN SAMPSON
Now in his ninth season with the Cougars, Sampson has led Houston to its first #1 ranking in the national polls since 1984, the program's most regular-season wins and the #1 seed in the NCAA postseason.
He earned the 700th win of his award-winning career in the season-opener against Northern Colorado inside the Fertitta Center and has led the Cougars to two 9-game winning streaks and at 13-game streak this season.
His Cougars lead the nation in winning percentage, scoring margin and field goal percentage defense, rank second in scoring defense, and 3-point field goal percentage defense and are among the Top 10 in turnover margin and rebounding margin.
This was his sixth and seventh District Coach of the Year awards with his first from the USBWA.
ABOUT MARCUS SASSER
After electrifying Houston fans with his decision to return for his senior season in June 2022, Sasser lived up to the preseason hype.
He leads the Cougars and ranks seventh in the American Athletic Conference with 17.1 points per game and stands among the league's Top-15 leaders in assists (3.2 apg, 13th), free throw percentage (84.0, 6th), 3-point field goal percentage (38.3, 8th), 3-point field goals per game (2.7, 5th) and assist-turnover ratio (1.98, 5th).
The Dallas native has posted 12 20-point games this season, including a career-best 31 points against South Florida on Jan. 11 with a team-high 28 double-digit scoring games.
However, Sasser does far more than shoot and score for the Cougars, ranking seventh in the league with 1.7 steals per game.
Sasser became the 50th 1,000-point scorer in Houston history earlier this season and currently stands 17th among the Cougars' career scoring leaders with 1,417 points to date.
He also has drained 268 3-pointers during his career, setting a Houston career record in that category.
For his impressive efforts, Sasser was recognized as The American Player of the Year and was a. unanimous choice by the league head coaches for the First Team,
He also has earned All-America honors from Field of 68, Sporting News and Stadium.
ABOUT JARACE WALKER
Walker joined the Cougars as a heralded recruit and exceeded those preseason expectations. In his collegiate debut, the New Freedom, Pa., native scored eight points and grabbed 12 rebounds in a win over Northern Colorado inside the Fertitta Center
This season, Walker ranks second among the Cougars and among The American's leaders with 11.1 points and 6.8 rebounds per game and recorded double-doubles against North Florida and American rival SMU.
Walker finished with a game-high 17 points and seven rebounds and added four assists, a blocked shot and steal in the Cougars' road win at #2/2 Virginia. He was named the CBS Sports/USBWA National Freshman of the Week following that performance, the first of two national weekly honors in 2022-23.
He was named The American's Freshman of the Week six times, tying a school single-season record for weekly awards of any kind.
ABOUT JAMAL SHEAD
Shead has been the floor general for the Cougars throughout the 2022-23 season.
As the defensive leader, he tops the Cougars with 61 steals and ranks fifth in The American with 1.8 steals per contest while called upon to defend opponents' offensive leaders in the backcourt.
The Manor, Texas, native leads the team with 184 assists, becoming the 20th player in school history to record multiple 100-assist seasons during his career. He currently ranks seventh in Houston history with 444 career assists.
He leads the Cougars and ranks second in the league with 5.4 assists per game and 2.79 assist-turnover ratio. Shead is one of only nine student-athletes to rank among the nation's Top-25 leaders in both assists and assist-turnover ratio.
Earlier his month, Shead was named to the All-American Athletic Conference Second Team and was recognized as the league's Defensive Player of the year.
After leading the Cougars to The American Championship Title Game, Shead also was named to the All-Tournament Team.
Sasser and Walker were joined on the NABC All-District 24 First Team by Tulane guard Jalen Cook, Memphis guard Kendric Davis and Memphis forward DeAndre Williams. Shead was joined on the Second Team by Tulane forward Kevin Cross, Tulane guard Jaylen Forbes, Cincinnati guard Landers Nolley II and Temple guard Khalif Battle.
Sasser and Shead were joined on the USBWA All-District VII Team by Marcus Carr (Texas), Ricky Council IV (Arkansas), L.J. Cryer (Baylor), Adam Flagler (Baylor), Keyonte George (Baylor), Mike Miles (TCU), Quincy Olivari (Rice) and Wade Taylor (Texas A&M).
2022-23 NABC DISTRICT 24 AWARDS
COACH of the YEAR
Kelvin Sampson, Houston
ALL-DISTRICT 24 FIRST TEAM
ALL-DISTRICT 24 SECOND TEAM
2022-23 USBWA DISTRICT VII AWARDS
PLAYER of the YEAR
Marcus Sasser, Houston
COACH of the YEAR
Kelvin Sampson, Houston
ALL-DISTRICT VII TEAM
BUY 2022-23 TICKETS
Fans who were unable to purchase season tickets in 2022-23 are invited to join the team's 2023-24 Wait List as the Cougars prepare to enter the Big 12 Conference. To join the 2023-24 season tickets Wait List, fans can click here.
For the third straight season, the Cougars sold out of their season tickets for home games inside the Fertitta Center.
UP NEXT
• Sampson and the Cougars return to action when they compete as the No. 1 seed in NCAA Tournament Midwest Region against (16) Northern Kentucky
• That First-Round tipoff is set for approximately 8:20 p.m., Thursday, inside Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Ala.
• The game can be seen live on TNT with Jim Nantz, Bill Raftery, Grant Hill and Tracy Wolfson calling the action
• All Houston Men's Basketball games can be heard on 950 AM KPRC and the Varsity Network app.
SUPPORT HOUSTON RISE
Join Houston Rise, a $150 million fundraising campaign for Houston Athletics dedicated to championship success in the Big 12 Conference.
Every Houston Rise contribution prepares our Cougars to compete and win when we start Big 12 competition in July 2023. Click here to rise and be counted.
JOIN the 50-50-CLUB
Fans are invited to join the 50-50 Club to support Houston Men's Basketball. 50-50 Club members help fund program necessities and enhance the experience for our student-athletes.
Fans who join the 50-50 Club will receive embroidered Jordan Brand team apparel, invitations to exclusive events, regular updates about the program and much more.
For more information or to sign up, fans may visit uhcougars.com/5050club or click here. To join the 50-50 Club, fans may call Cougar Pride at 713-743-GoUH (4687).
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's Facebook page at UHCougarMBK or by visiting the team's Instagram page at UHCougarMBK.
HOUSTON – In a busy day with awards, University of Houston Men's Basketball Coach and guards Marcus Sasser and Jamal Shead and forward Jarace Walker received various All-District honors from the National Association of Basketball Coaches District 24 and from the United States Basketball Writers Association District VII on Tuesday afternoon.
Sampson received the Coach of the Year honor from both districts. Sasser was named the Player of the Year for USBWA District VII and earned a place on both district's team and was joined on the NABC All-District 24 by Walker. Shead was named to the NABC All-District 24 Second Team and joined Sasser on the USBWA All-District VII squad.
The Cougar quartet led Houston to a 31-3 overall record with the program's third straight American Athletic Conference regular-season title, thanks to a 17-1 league mark.
Houston will compete as a No. 1 seed in this week's NCAA Tournament Midwest Region for only the second time in school history while making its fifth straight NCAA Tournament appearance, a first in program history.
Voting was done by NABC member coaches throughout NCAA Division I and by the USBWA national membership.
ABOUT KELVIN SAMPSON
Now in his ninth season with the Cougars, Sampson has led Houston to its first #1 ranking in the national polls since 1984, the program's most regular-season wins and the #1 seed in the NCAA postseason.
He earned the 700th win of his award-winning career in the season-opener against Northern Colorado inside the Fertitta Center and has led the Cougars to two 9-game winning streaks and at 13-game streak this season.
His Cougars lead the nation in winning percentage, scoring margin and field goal percentage defense, rank second in scoring defense, and 3-point field goal percentage defense and are among the Top 10 in turnover margin and rebounding margin.
This was his sixth and seventh District Coach of the Year awards with his first from the USBWA.
ABOUT MARCUS SASSER
After electrifying Houston fans with his decision to return for his senior season in June 2022, Sasser lived up to the preseason hype.
He leads the Cougars and ranks seventh in the American Athletic Conference with 17.1 points per game and stands among the league's Top-15 leaders in assists (3.2 apg, 13th), free throw percentage (84.0, 6th), 3-point field goal percentage (38.3, 8th), 3-point field goals per game (2.7, 5th) and assist-turnover ratio (1.98, 5th).
The Dallas native has posted 12 20-point games this season, including a career-best 31 points against South Florida on Jan. 11 with a team-high 28 double-digit scoring games.
However, Sasser does far more than shoot and score for the Cougars, ranking seventh in the league with 1.7 steals per game.
Sasser became the 50th 1,000-point scorer in Houston history earlier this season and currently stands 17th among the Cougars' career scoring leaders with 1,417 points to date.
He also has drained 268 3-pointers during his career, setting a Houston career record in that category.
For his impressive efforts, Sasser was recognized as The American Player of the Year and was a. unanimous choice by the league head coaches for the First Team,
He also has earned All-America honors from Field of 68, Sporting News and Stadium.
ABOUT JARACE WALKER
Walker joined the Cougars as a heralded recruit and exceeded those preseason expectations. In his collegiate debut, the New Freedom, Pa., native scored eight points and grabbed 12 rebounds in a win over Northern Colorado inside the Fertitta Center
This season, Walker ranks second among the Cougars and among The American's leaders with 11.1 points and 6.8 rebounds per game and recorded double-doubles against North Florida and American rival SMU.
Walker finished with a game-high 17 points and seven rebounds and added four assists, a blocked shot and steal in the Cougars' road win at #2/2 Virginia. He was named the CBS Sports/USBWA National Freshman of the Week following that performance, the first of two national weekly honors in 2022-23.
He was named The American's Freshman of the Week six times, tying a school single-season record for weekly awards of any kind.
ABOUT JAMAL SHEAD
Shead has been the floor general for the Cougars throughout the 2022-23 season.
As the defensive leader, he tops the Cougars with 61 steals and ranks fifth in The American with 1.8 steals per contest while called upon to defend opponents' offensive leaders in the backcourt.
The Manor, Texas, native leads the team with 184 assists, becoming the 20th player in school history to record multiple 100-assist seasons during his career. He currently ranks seventh in Houston history with 444 career assists.
He leads the Cougars and ranks second in the league with 5.4 assists per game and 2.79 assist-turnover ratio. Shead is one of only nine student-athletes to rank among the nation's Top-25 leaders in both assists and assist-turnover ratio.
Earlier his month, Shead was named to the All-American Athletic Conference Second Team and was recognized as the league's Defensive Player of the year.
After leading the Cougars to The American Championship Title Game, Shead also was named to the All-Tournament Team.
Sasser and Walker were joined on the NABC All-District 24 First Team by Tulane guard Jalen Cook, Memphis guard Kendric Davis and Memphis forward DeAndre Williams. Shead was joined on the Second Team by Tulane forward Kevin Cross, Tulane guard Jaylen Forbes, Cincinnati guard Landers Nolley II and Temple guard Khalif Battle.
Sasser and Shead were joined on the USBWA All-District VII Team by Marcus Carr (Texas), Ricky Council IV (Arkansas), L.J. Cryer (Baylor), Adam Flagler (Baylor), Keyonte George (Baylor), Mike Miles (TCU), Quincy Olivari (Rice) and Wade Taylor (Texas A&M).
2022-23 NABC DISTRICT 24 AWARDS
COACH of the YEAR
Kelvin Sampson, Houston
ALL-DISTRICT 24 FIRST TEAM
| Player | Class | Position | School |
| Marcus Sasser | Senior | Guard | Houston |
| Jarace Walker | Freshman | Forward | Houston |
| Jalen Cook | Sophomore | Guard | Tulane |
| Kendric Davis | Senior | Guard | Memphis |
| DeAndre Williams | Senior | Forward | Memphis |
ALL-DISTRICT 24 SECOND TEAM
| Player | Class | Position | School |
| Jamal Shead | Junior | Guard | Houston |
| Kevin Cross | Junior | Forward | Tulane |
| Jaylen Forbes | Junior | Guard | Tulane |
| Landers Nolley II | Senior | Guard | Cincinnati |
| Khalif Battle | Sophomore | Guard | Temple |
2022-23 USBWA DISTRICT VII AWARDS
PLAYER of the YEAR
Marcus Sasser, Houston
COACH of the YEAR
Kelvin Sampson, Houston
ALL-DISTRICT VII TEAM
| Player | School |
| Marcus Sasser | Houston |
| Jamal Shead | Houston |
| Adam Flagler | Baylor |
| Keyonte George | Baylor |
| Marcus Carr | Texas |
| Mike Miles | TCU |
| Wade Taylor IV | Texas A&M |
| L.J. Cryer | Baylor |
| Quincy Olivari | Rice |
| Ricky Council IV | Arkansas |
BUY 2022-23 TICKETS
Fans who were unable to purchase season tickets in 2022-23 are invited to join the team's 2023-24 Wait List as the Cougars prepare to enter the Big 12 Conference. To join the 2023-24 season tickets Wait List, fans can click here.
For the third straight season, the Cougars sold out of their season tickets for home games inside the Fertitta Center.
UP NEXT
• Sampson and the Cougars return to action when they compete as the No. 1 seed in NCAA Tournament Midwest Region against (16) Northern Kentucky
• That First-Round tipoff is set for approximately 8:20 p.m., Thursday, inside Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Ala.
• The game can be seen live on TNT with Jim Nantz, Bill Raftery, Grant Hill and Tracy Wolfson calling the action
• All Houston Men's Basketball games can be heard on 950 AM KPRC and the Varsity Network app.
SUPPORT HOUSTON RISE
Join Houston Rise, a $150 million fundraising campaign for Houston Athletics dedicated to championship success in the Big 12 Conference.
Every Houston Rise contribution prepares our Cougars to compete and win when we start Big 12 competition in July 2023. Click here to rise and be counted.
JOIN the 50-50-CLUB
Fans are invited to join the 50-50 Club to support Houston Men's Basketball. 50-50 Club members help fund program necessities and enhance the experience for our student-athletes.
Fans who join the 50-50 Club will receive embroidered Jordan Brand team apparel, invitations to exclusive events, regular updates about the program and much more.
For more information or to sign up, fans may visit uhcougars.com/5050club or click here. To join the 50-50 Club, fans may call Cougar Pride at 713-743-GoUH (4687).
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's Facebook page at UHCougarMBK or by visiting the team's Instagram page at UHCougarMBK.
– UHCougars.com –
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