No. 11 Auburn is set to take on No. 4 Houston in the Mattress Firm Battleground 2k24 on Saturday night at the Toyota Center in Houston, TX. Here's what some of our staff has to say about the matchup between the Tigers and Cougars, complete with score predictions and analysis.
Patrick Bingham, Sports Editor: Houston 59-51
"Auburn was very hot offensively on Wednesday. While I expect the Tigers to have an improved offense, it won’t be like it was against Vermont regularly. Houston has a fantastic defense which I expect to be the difference tonight.”
Grace Heim, Assistant Sports Editor: Houston 66-57
"Auburn looked in midseason form in it’s game against Vermont on Wednesday. Houston has one of the best defenses in the country, and I expect them to limit the Tigers ability to take shots from behind the arc. It’s gonna be a low scoring battle, and I expect Auburn to stay in it with Houston, ultimately pulling away. Overall, this game should test auburn step and ability to score against high caliber defenses."
Logan Fowler, Sports Reporter: Houston 78-72
"This is the start of one of, if not the toughest non-conference schedule in program history - its one at least four non-conference games for Auburn versus teams ranked in the Top 14 in the preseason AP Poll. The Tigers caught fire in the season opener against a Vermont squad that is picked to win its conference, and make the tournament for the fourth consecutive season. However, Saturday's matchup with No.4 Houston will present a much tougher challenge for the Tigers. A much more disciplined team that will matchup with Auburn athletically, the Tigers will need to keep mistakes at minimum.
Auburn has great depth with 10 players that can contribute significant minutes - and any given one that can catch fire - but with Houston being a physically imposing squad down low and one of the nation's top teams defensively, I've got Houston winning a close one at the Toyota Center on Saturday. "
Craig Noyes, Sports Writer: Houston 69-61
"Auburn gets an early test against one of the best programs in the nation and begins a brutal stretch of non-conference games. On Wednesday, the Tigers thrashed the American East champions and showed what they are capable of, but they have not seen a team of this caliber in quite some time.
Houston has been a powerhouse, making deep runs in March and playing a style similar to Auburn. With an untested Auburn full of new pieces, I expect a close game, but the team in a home environment is likely to win the 2022 NCAA tournament rematch."
William Halliday, Sports Writer: Houston 77-72
"Last time these two teams matched up was in the second round of the NCAA tournament two years ago. That game came down to free throws. And Auburn shot horribly from the line 52.8%. Houston has been a top 3 defense for the last few years at least since I’ve been following KenPom, but I expect Auburn to put up a better offensive performance than they did two years ago, but not to where it’s enough to beat the Cougars. Kelvin Sampson’s defense will still be enough to contain the Tigers and keep them from getting hot behind the arc.”
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