Jamal Shead Named to Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Watch List

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POSTED: February 7, 2024 -- 7:08 p.m. CT

Wednesday afternoon, Houston Cougars senior point guard Jamal Shead was named to the Naismith Award Defensive Player of the Year Watch List presented by AXIA Time.

Shead is one of 15 college players from across the nation to be named to the Watch List.

This is the second national watch list to for Shead this season. In late January, he was recognized as one of the Top 10 Candidates for the Bob Cousy Award, presented by the Naismith Basketball of Fame. That honor is presented annually to the nation's top point guard.

Shead has started all 23 games to date and leads a Houston defense which leads the country in scoring defense (54.4 ppg), field goal percentage defense (37.1), scoring margin (+19.5), turnover margin (7.6) and KenPom.com defensive efficiency rating (86.6) and ranks among the Top 10 in steals per game (10.1), 3-point field goal percentage defense (28.6), and turnovers forced per game (16.5).

Shead owns a 108-16 record in more than three seasons during his Houston career and needs only two more victories in 2023-24 to become the second-winningest player in school history.

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2023-24 NAISMITH DEFENSIVE PLAYER of the YEAR WATCH LIST

players listed alphabetically by name

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