DALLAS -- Star Houston Cougars guard Jamal Shead suffered what the team called a badly sprained right ankle in the first half of the team's Sweet 16 game against Duke on Friday night and did not return.
The Cougars said coming out of halftime that X-rays were negative and that Shead, with his ankle retaped, would try to return to play.
But he never made it, instead watching the second half from the bench as top-seeded Houston lost 54-51.
Shead was driving when he planted his foot and it turned, though he continued the play and missed a contested layup. He was in obvious pain when he went down on the floor under the basket, reached at his foot and then pulled his jersey up over his face. After being tended to by an athletic trainer, Shead got up and walked slowly off the court. He played 13 minutes and scored two points before the injury.
Shead was the Big 12 player of the year and a first-team All-American. He averaged 13.2 points in Houston's first 36 games this season, behind only guard L.J. Cryer at 15.5 per game.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.