Could Houston Cougars PG Jamal Shead improve the backcourt?

ORLANDO — With three weeks until the NBA Draft, the Orlando Magic are welcoming players with pre-draft visits and refining their information for the Nos. 18 and 47 overall picks. Among the seven players who recently auditioned for Orlando are found Houston goalie Jamal Shead.

Few players in the 2024 NBA Draft are as decorated as Shead, who was the anchor of a No. 1-ranked University of Houston team for much of the college basketball season.

Shead, 21, was a consensus All-American and the Big 12 Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year. Before Houston joined the Big 12 Conference in 2023, Shead was a member of the team Two-time All-American Athletic Conference and was its 2022-23 Defensive Player of the Year.

During his senior season in Houston, the 6-foot-1 Shead had 12 games with at least three interceptions for a Cougars defense that allowed the fewest points per game. Beyond his defensive prowess, Shead set career highs in points (12.9), assists (6.3) and rebounds (3.7) per game during his final college season.

The biggest knock on Shead’s game would be his 3-point shooting: he never shot better than 31 percent from beyond the arc. The Magic, in 2023-24, were among the worst 3-point shooting teams in the NBA.

Shead ranks 34th on CBS’s selection committee, 53rd on ESPN and 60th on The Ringer. If Shead draws interest from Orlando, he would likely be in play for their second-round pick.

Magic guards Markelle Fultz and Gary Harris, who have started 147 games together over the past two seasons, have been limited by injuries. They are pending free agency and are likely to sign elsewhere.

Backup guards Anthony Black and Jett Howard were waiting in the wings, but neither position will be ruled out with the No. 47 overall pick.

The Magic could draft a promising player who needs to develop further in the second round. But if they’re looking for a player who can contribute immediately, Shead’s experience and defense could make him an intriguing candidate.