A former Houston basketball player is going crazy over his former team's run to the national championship. Cougars alum Jamal Shead, now in the NBA, loved seeing his former team defeat Duke Saturday.

“LETS F****** GOOO!!! GO MF COOGS,” Shead said on X, formerly Twitter.

In a separate post, Shead paid homage to Houston basketball player LJ Cryer. Cryer paced the Cougars with 26 points.

“LJ cryer, Houston made…… you the truth boy!!!” Shead added.

Shead is one of several NBA players paying homage to this gritty Houston team. Former Iowa State star Tyrese Haliburton also showed some love.

“Houston play hard as a mf, what a win,” Haliburton wrote on X.

Houston defeated Duke, 70-67, in an absolute thriller. Duke looked to be pulling away in the second half, but Houston's tenacious defense got the Cougars back in it.

Houston basketball is headed to the national championship game for the first time in Kelvin Sampson's tenure.

The Houston game captured the attention of several NBA Players

Houston Cougars forward J'Wan Roberts (13) reacts with guard Milos Uzan (7) after the game against the Tennessee Volunteers in the Midwest Regional final of the 2025 NCAA tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

The Houston basketball game against Duke brought in a lot of media attention. Not only was it a Final Four contest, but it was also a matchup between two of the best defensive teams in the country. Houston had the nation's no. 1 scoring defense this season, per NCAA stats.

Duke looked to have the game in hand late in the second half. The Blue Devils had a 14 point lead with under nine minutes to go. But Houston scored 9 straight points in the last 33 seconds to pull off the victory.

“I’m f**king hot, don’t text me or call me,” former Duke player Austin Rivers said on X after the game. Rivers also played in the NBA for 11 seasons.

Houston's defense picked just the right time in the game to peak. The Cougars held Duke to just one field goal in the game's final 10 minutes. It was a defensive masterclass by the Cougars.

Houston now moves on to play Florida in the national championship game. It is the first time Coach Kelvin Sampson will be playing for a national title.

“I’m so happy for Kelvin Sampson!! Never gets the credit he deserves as a coach. He’s also an amazing teacher of men!!” Toronto Raptors guard Garrett Temple said on X. Temple is teammates with former Houston player Jamal Shead.

Houston and Florida play Monday for all the marbles. Florida defeated Auburn in the other national semi-final on Saturday night.