April 4, 2024

HOUSTON’S JAMAL SHEAD RECIPIENT OF 2024 NOLAN RICHARDSON AWARD
Presented player who is the heart and soul of his team and its’ leader on and off the court.

PHOENIX, AZ -- Houston’s Jamal Shead is the recipient of 2024 Nolan Richardson award, which is presented annually a division I player who is the heart and soul of his team and a leader on and off the court.

Houston guard Jamal Shead is this year’s recipient of the Nolan Richardson Award, given annually to the Division I player who is the heart and soul of his team, its hardest worker and a leader on and off the court.

Shead kept the Cougars atop the Big 12 standings throughout the season, earning Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year honors in the conference.

He averaged 12.9 PPG, 6.7 APG and 2.2 SPG in guiding Houston to 32 victories and the No. 1 seed in the South Region of the NCAA tournament.

His absence was felt in the Sweet 16 as he suffered a severe ankle injury midway through the first half and did not return in a 54-51 loss to Duke.

“Every great team has a great leader,” said Joe Dwyer, President of CollegeInsider.com. “Jamal Shead has been everything a head coach would want in a leader and so much more. It’s hard to find many who play harder and with more passion and determination.  In an era of college basketball with so many changes, he is a throwback. He’s a ‘basketball player’ who cares about one thing -- Winning.  Today’s game needs more players like Jamal Shead.”

The Nolan Richardson award is named in honor of one of the true legends of the game. His frenetic style of fast-break basketball, with full-court pressure, helped him become the only coach to win NJCCA, NIT and NCAA National Championships. After winning a junior college national championship at Western Texas College, Richardson went on to lead Tulsa to the NIT Championship in his first season at the helm. He averaged 24 wins per season in his five years at Tulsa, leading the Golden Hurricanes to three NCAA Tournament appearances.

In 17 seasons at Arkansas, Richardson led the Razorbacks to 9 conference championships, 13 NCAA Tournament appearances, three Final Fours and the 1994 NCAA Championship. His famed “40 Minutes of Hell” produced over 500 career wins.

Nolan Richardson was inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame and 2008 and he was enshrined in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2014.

The recipient of the annual award is determined by a 10-member voting committee, which consists of current and former head coaches, as well as two senior staff members of collegeinsider.com.