Kansas City, MO. – Plastic jewelry on Jewan Roberts Left Chetle tell a story. The pearls arranged to spell “animal fashion” resemble these Taylor Swift friendship bracelets.
The set was a gift a few years ago Shedd, sister of former teammate Jamal Shedd. Whatever the Roberts mode, the bulky striker of Houston, is in these days, it is certainly not a beast. And the most important piece of plastic is actually attached to its leg, protecting an ankle on the right.
“It was fun, in fact,” said Roberts about sitting down his teammates to undo Byu 74-54 in the semi-finals of the Big 12 tournament Friday evening. “I don’t play, I’m trying to train them a lot too.”
Fun, for the moment. Roberts is Houston’s latest key to an injury that has had an impact on the NCAA tournament in the past three years. Cougars do not want Roberts’s injury to be four years in a row.
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The X -rays on Roberts’ ankle injured Thursday in a quarter -final victory against Colorado were negative. After talking initially courageously to play on Friday evening, Roberts sits wisely. There was nothing to play, basically, a game of nothing. It is almost certain to sit on the Big 12 championship match on Saturday and be ready for the NCAA tournament next week.
Cougars certainly do not need him at this stage. Friday’s victory proved it. It was a match that Houston didn’t even need to play. Houston has won consecutive titles from the regular Big 12 season having a 38-5 handset since he joined the League. Domination has been proven. Before Friday, it was already a lock to be a seeded n ° 1 in the second consecutive year of the NCAA tournament.
But soon – very soon – it will be important.
Roberts’ availability for the rest of this month and beyond is the main subject of discussion of the program. He walked his ankle while walking on the foot of another player, which leads to one of the most common injuries of the game.
“Very common,” said Houston coach John Houston after the match. “The same thing that has happened to Duke’s child. I don’t have it (injured) so bad.”
This “kid at Duke” is the national candidate of the year Cooper Flagg, whose availability is a question that will resist the support from next week.
Houston knows the feeling.
- In 2022, a year after Marcus Sasser helped lead the program to his first Final Four in 37 years, he and his teammate Tramon Mark missed most of the season with injuries. With a chance to return to the Final Four, the cougars lost eight against Villanova in the elite.
- In 2023, Sasser was injured in the groin in the American conference tournament. The cougars lost in Sweet 16.
- Last season, Shedd, the player of the year Big 12, underwent an ankle injury in a sweet defeat against Duke.
“He was mainly heartbreaking because of his emotions,” said Houston. “We really felt like we could have removed this match … We brought it to (cloakroom), (the ankle) continued to become bigger, then his emotions then started to flow. He could somehow see that he was not going to come back. He had a little impression that it was the finish line for him.”
No one, in particular Beast mode, wants to hear this story again.
It could be the best team in the Kelvin Sampson era. Houston’s defense is legendary. The cougars again lead the country in points authorized per game. But they are also more balanced offensively with Baylor Transfer LJ Cryer and Oklahoma Transfer Milos Uzan. The veteran Emanuel Sharp opted for a summit of 26 against Byu.
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“When we enter the match, we try not to think of the offensive,” said Roberts. “We are thinking of the defense. He looks crazy as there are six defenders.”
As for injuries, well, they occur.
“We play hard, many injuries come with it,” said Roberts.
Judge for yourself Impact of Roberts: the 6-foot striker 8 inch, a 235-pound attacker played 167 career games. No couguar in history has won more games (144). He is the team’s fourth scorer, the best rebounder and fire blocker n ° 3.
Beast mode indeed.
This is a question that no one around the program even wants to ask: can cougars do another race without Roberts?
“I have the impression that these games are Mars madness Games, “said Roberts in front of his locker after the match.” The environment. There are large teams. They will also be in the tournament. These games are preparing us for next week. It’s always good to win. We never want to step back or play our competitions. “”
Kelvin Sampson does not want to try fate either. There is a lot of bad Ju-Ju in the immediate past of Houston at this time of the year. There may also be a collective grimace of the program every time someone falls.
Houston woke up Friday by wondering what he called the “bad sprain” of Roberts.
“It was not huge,” he said.
But it was, well, enormous in the situation as a whole.
Houston was so close to returning to the Final Four, yet so far away. The recall bore plastic on his wrist and leg.
“You had a single shot. I have the impression that we are in a good position,” said Roberts.
There is only one position that Houston wants to be, who rests.
“You certainly don’t want to work unless you do it …” he said. “You get used to something … that something will happen. It is not a question of whether, it’s a question of knowing when.”
