Houston forward J’Wan Roberts (13) supports the team from the bench during the second half of an NCAA college Men’s Basketball match, Friday, Nov. 22, 2024, in Houston, Texas. | Raphael Fernandez/The Cougar
SAN ANTONIO —When graduate forward J’Wan Roberts walks into the bright lights of his first Final Four with fans in attendance, he won’t bring fear with him.
It’s not his first step into unfamiliar territory.
At just 15, Roberts left behind everything he knew, trading the comfort of St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, for Killeen, Texas. With no AAU experience, no offers, and no looks, he was little more than a young man with a dream and the work ethic to chase it.
During his junior year of high school, that persistence paid off. Roberts received what he calls “his first big Division I offer,” a chance to play under coach Kelvin Sampson and fully embrace the toughness of the Houston program.
“I wanted to be coached,” Roberts said. “I wanted a coach who would get on me, take me to a place where I probably wouldn’t go if I try my hardest and fail.”
The opportunity presented plenty of heartbreaking tournament runs. Still, it ultimately transformed Roberts into the winningest player in school history, a back-to-back Big 12 champion and the fourth Cougar to reach 1,000 points and rebounds.
“How he performs is how I want the game to be played,” Sampson said. “J’Wan has developed into a winner, a leader and a player his teammates and coaches respect.”
Six years after his arrival in Houston, Roberts still sends text messages every few months to thank his coaches for taking a chance on him and being a part of his transformation.
“I always refresh their memory of how appreciative I am, especially coming from the islands,” Roberts said. “That’s only 32 square miles, and a lot of guys don’t make it out of there.”
He made it out to the biggest stage in college basketball. In his first year playing with the program, Roberts got the chance to experience the Final Four in 2021.
He spent most of the national semifinals against Baylor on the bench, masked up, and watching from the sidelines during the COVID-19 bubble play in Indianapolis. Houston came up empty-handed, but he witnessed the veterans’ fight and embrace of Houston’s culture.
Now, as a leader, Roberts gets another chance to compete for Houston’s first national title. He is ready to unmask his identity and showcase how far his journey has taken him as the Cougars match up against Duke on Saturday.
“When you go into these games and you play fearless,” Roberts said, “I feel like that takes care of everything.”
His 15-year-old self would see how far hard work and fearlessness have taken him. Now, he hopes to reach Monday night and finish the climb with a championship.
