As a freshman, Shead averaged 3.3 points and 1.5 assists per game, logging minor minutes as a backup point guard on
Houston's 2020–21 Final Four team. In
2021–22, Shead's sophomore season, he averaged 10 points and 5.8 assists per game. During the season he was promoted to the starting lineup after injuries to starting guards
Marcus Sasser and Tramon Mark. Shead paced Houston's offense as the Cougars won both the
American Athletic Conference (AAC)
regular-season and
tournament championships. In the
NCAA tournament, Shead averaged 15 points per game en route to an Elite Eight berth for the Cougars, which included an upset of South Regional No. 1 seed
Arizona in the Sweet 16, in which Shead led his team with 21 points. Shead was named to the All-AAC Third Team. As a junior, he averaged 10.5 points, 5.4 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game. Shead was named to the All-AAC Second Team and earned AAC Defensive Player of the Year honors. Following the season, he declared for the
2023 NBA draft but ultimately returned to Houston for his senior season. In
2023–24, their first year in the
Big 12, Shead led the Cougars to a
regular-season title with averages of 12.9 points, 6.3 assists and 2.2 steals per game. He was named the
Big 12 Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, becoming the first player to win both awards in the same season. ==Professional career==