No. 11 Auburn basketball, after a dominating victory Wednesday over Vermont, will have to quickly put the victory in the rearview mirror as they prepare to travel to Houston to take on the No. 4 Houston Cougars.
The Cougars began their season with an impressive 97-40 victory over Jackson State. In their second season in the Big 12, they look to begin their campaign back to the NCAA tournament after earning consecutive No. 1 seeds and bids in six of the last seven seasons (there was no tournament in the 2019-20 season).
Head Coach: Kelvin Sampson
In his eleventh season with the Cougars, Kelvin Sampson has turned Houston into a powerhouse during their time in the AAC and their brief time so far in the Big 12.
Before his first season in 2014, Houston had only appeared in an NCAA tournament once in the last 20 seasons. Still, he has turned the Cougars into a national powerhouse, including a Final Four appearance in the 2020-21 season.
With 32 years of coaching experience, Sampson has helped four programs reach the NCAA tournament (Washington State, Oklahoma, Indiana, and Houston). He ranks 28th in all-time wins with 690 and looks to cross the 700-win mark this season, putting him in an exclusive group of coaches.
The combination of knowledge and experience will make for an exciting coaching matchup between Sampson and Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl.
Offense
Houston's offense was among the best in college basketball in the 2023-24 season, ranking just outside the top 50 in total points scored. However, it did it unconventionally. They ranked 229th in field goal percentage and 131st in three-point percentage.
Despite the inaccuracies in shooting the ball, the Cougars' offense made up for them with elite offensive rebound production and limited turnovers.
Houston ranked third in the country in the 2023-24 season for offensive rebounds and 31st for turnovers committed. The Cougars make the most of their opportunities on the offensive end of the floor, cause chaos on the glass, and keep the ball out of their opponent's hands.
In their game against Jackson State, the Cougars recorded 11 offensive rebounds and only committed nine turnovers for the entirety of the game.
LJ Cryer, the team's leading scorer from the 2023-24 season, returned for his second season with Houston after spending three seasons at Baylor. Cryer led the team with 16 points against Jackson State and shot 4-for-6 on three-point attempts.
The Houston offense will give the Tigers an early season test on defense.
Defense
The Cougars didn’t become one of the best teams in the country without the help of one of the nation's best defensive teams.
Against Jackson State, they held the Tigers to 27.66% from the field and 17.39% on three-point attempts while forcing 21 turnovers.
In the 2023-24 season, the Cougars ranked third in the country with blocks and 14th in blocks, and under Sampson, they have been known to be a fierce defensive team.
The matchup between an Auburn team that excels at taking care of the ball and a Houston team that loves to take it away will provide both teams with a Final Four-like test.
The No. 11 Auburn Tigers travel to Houston to take on the No. 4 Houston Cougars as both teams look to earn a signature win early, with two of the nation's finest teams squaring off at 8:30 p.m. CST on ESPNU.
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Craig Noyes is a senior from Kensington, Maryland, majoring in journalism. He joined The Plainsman in January 2023.
You can follow him on X (Twitter) at @CraigNoyes58
