Shead began his high school career at John B. Connally High School before transferring to Manor High School.[1] He averaged 18.1 points, 6 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game as a junior. Shead led Manor High School to the state tournament for the first time in school history and scored 44 points in a win over Rudder High School, earning District 18-5A Most Valuable Player honors.[2] As a senior, he averaged 19.3 points and 4.3 assists per game, helping Manor achieve a 28–10 record and the District 18-5A title.[3] Considered a three-star recruit by the 247Sports Composite, Shead committed to playing college basketball for Houston over Texas A&M, SMU and Colorado State.[4]
College career
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.[5] 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.[6] Shead was named to the All-AAC Third Team.[7] 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.[8] 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.[9]
On December 29, 2025, Shead scored 19 points in an 107-106 Raptors win over the Orlando Magic.[13] On January 11, 2026, Shead had a career-high team-leading 22 points in an 116-115 win over the Philadelphia 76ers. On January 16, 2026, Shead dished out 15 points and a career-high 13 assists in an 117-121 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.[14]
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