Houston star J’Wan Roberts wisely sits as Cougars head to Big 12 Tournament title game after pounding BYU

Kansas City, Mo. – Plastic jewelry on Joys Roberts The left wrist tells a story. The beads that were arranged to spell “put the monster” are similar to Taylor Swift bracelets.

The adornment was a gift two years ago from the fall of Shtud, the sister of his former colleague Jamal Shaid. Whatever the position of Roberts, HoustonThe huge front in the sixth year, these days, is definitely not a monster. The most prominent piece of plastic is connected to his leg and the protection of the right ankle.

“He was fun,” said Roberts. Byu 74-54 in the semi-finals of the Big 12 championship on Friday night. “I’m not playing, I am trying to train them too much.”

Fun, now. Roberts is the latest major piece in Houston with an injury that affected the NCAA Championship during the past three years. The chopped does not want to make Roberts injury four consecutive years.

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On Thursday, the X -rays on Roberts ankle were wounded in the quarter -finals. Colorado It was negative. After he initially spoke courageously about playing Friday night, Roberts sat wisely. There was nothing to be acquired in playing, basically, nothing. It is almost certain to sit in the Big 12 Championship match on Saturday and be ready for the NCAA championship next week.

Certainly, the chopped does not need it at this stage. On Friday, it was proven. Houston was not needed to play. Houston won the Big 12 title in the normal season, which was collected 38-5 since joining the league. He dominated. Before Friday, it was already likely to be a 1 -year -old lock in the NCAA championship.

But soon – very soon – it will be important.

Roberts is available for the rest of this month and beyond is the main talk of the program. He seized the ankle by interfering on another player, which led to one of the most common game injuries.

“Very common,” said Houston coach John Houston after the match. “The same thing that happened to the child in duke. Joape did not do [hurt it] bad “.

This “child in Duke” is a national player’s candidate for the year Cooper FlageThe availability of a question will be advanced during the arc that starts next week.

Houston knows the feeling.

• In 2022, a year after Marcus Sasser helped lead the program to the first four final in 37 years, he and his teammate Tram He missed most of the season with injuries. With an opportunity to return to the four final, he lost the chogor in the eighth elite Villanova.
• In 2023, Sasser was harmful to the American Conference Championship. Loss of chopped in sweet 16.
• Last season, Shadd, a big player per year, suffered an ankle injury in losing 16 sweet to Duke.

Houston said: “This was mostly broken because of his emotions,” Houston said. “We really felt that we could be able to pull this game … We brought it to [lockerroom]and [the ankle] Just keep getting larger and larger, then his emotions began to flow. He could have seen somewhat he would no longer. He felt that he was the finish line for him. “

No one, especially the monster, wants to hear that story again.

This may be the best team in the Keelvs Sampson era. Houston’s legendary defense. The chopping again leads the country at points permitted for each game. But they are also more aggressively more balanced with Bilor transformation LJ Cryer and Oklahoma transformation Milos Ozan. veteran Emmanuel Sharp He went for 26 seasons 26 against byu.

Roberts replied, “Going to the game is trying not to think about the attack.” “We are thinking about defense. It seems crazy as if there were six defenders there.”

As for injuries, they occur.

“We are playing hard, and many injuries come with that,” said Roberts.

Judge for yourself the effect of Roberts: The striker, who is 6 feet length, 8 feet and 235 lbs in 167 professional matches. In history, no Kogar won more games (144). He is the top scorer of the fourth team, the highest reformulation, and the 3rd rank.

The monster is already.

It is a question that no one wants about the program until it was asked: Can the chopy run another without Roberts?

“I feel these games I am crazy Roberts told his wardrobe after the match. “The environment. There are great teams. They will be in the tournament as well. These games promise us for the next week. It is always good to win. We never want to retreat or play to our competitor.”

Kelvin Sampson also does not want to seduce fate. There is a lot of bad JU-Ju in the direct past of Hustin this time of the year. There may also be a collective profit from the program every time someone decreases.

Houston woke up on Friday and wondered what Roberts called the “bad twisting” he would look like.

“It was not huge,” he said.

But it was, well, huge in the big picture.

Houston was close to returning to the four finals again, however far away. The reminder was wearing plastic on both its wrist and leg.

“I got only one shot in this,” Roberts said.

There is only one position that Houston wants to be, and this rest.

“You definitely do not want to work unless you have to ….” “You are accustomed to something … that something will happen. It is not a matter if, it’s a matter of when.”