Auburn to upset No. 1 Houston

Now that my undefeated record of selecting No. 13 seeds or decrease within the NCAA Match publicly remains to be intact after Furman’s victory over Virginia on Thursday, I’m deciding to not relaxation on my laurels and let you know all about one other prediction I made earlier this week. For followers of Deadspin’s Agree to Disagree video sequence, it is a choice I’ve already proclaimed on camera. Auburn will upset the Midwest area’s No. 1 seed in Houston on Saturday. It’s not fairly the lopsided upset as selecting the Paladins or Saint Peter’s over Kentucky final 12 months, however it’s little question not what’ll be favored.

The Cougars appeared horrible in opposition to one of many worst groups within the NCAA Match. Northern Kentucky obtained out of a weak low-major within the Horizon League. The Norse genuinely impressed me final evening and held robust with one of many supposed greatest groups within the nation. Kelvin Sampson’s squad earned that No. 1 seed and was arguably essentially the most constant workforce within the nation in the course of the common season. And Houston both was wanting previous a workforce it knew it may simply defeat, or the upstart Norse really uncovered what a Marcus Sasser-less workforce appears to be like like.

In case you take the very best participant away from any nice workforce, it gained’t be as mighty anymore. Purdue with out Zach Edey is a bubble workforce and could be enjoying within the NIT proper now. Alabama with out Brandon Miller, which ought to be a actuality proper now with the off-court drama surrounding the Crimson Tide, would’ve gotten a robust seed in The Massive Dance, however doubtless extra towards the 4-5 line. Sasser is that needle-mover for the Cougars. The drop-off with out the 6-foot-2 senior guard and likely NBA lottery pick due to a groin harm suffered within the American Athletic Convention Match final week, is clear. He was pulled at halftime by Sampson and Houston was inconsistent with out him.

Auburn had a real toss-up matchup with Iowa on paper. The Tigers have been at all times higher than their seeding, whereas Iowa wasn’t. The Hawkeyes have by no means had a future within the match below Fran McCaffery and this 12 months’s Kris Murray-led squad was no completely different. The SEC outmuscled the Massive Ten. There’s no approach round that. And Auburn may have thrown a number of extra punches on the finish of the sport if wanted. Within the nightcap, it was apparent by the top of the sport how drained Northern Kentucky was. A workforce higher conditioned to play with Houston, which can be each workforce the Cougars see the remainder of the season, will be capable to take higher benefit of a inclined, unmotivated squad. And if the shortage of drive isn’t actuality for UH, it didn’t present it in opposition to the Norse. It additionally has an awesome likelihood for redemption in opposition to Auburn. However nothing’s assured. And Bruce Pearl-coached groups normally don’t miss when provided that kind of alternative.

It’s not clear if Sasser will play at 7:10 p.m. on TBS with a visit to the Candy 16 on the road. It’s clear that if he performs, he gained’t be at full well being, which is already a downgrade from what we’ve anticipated from the Cougars for many of this season. Auburn is a workforce that’s gone via a bunch of adversity this season and nonetheless discovered its approach safely into March Insanity. It’s a distinct form of lure to outline the adversity for Houston. Saying the Cougars have been via none can be silly. Their paths of resistance have been examined in video games, with extra tangible rewards, like 11 more wins than the Tigers this season, alongside the way in which. That’ll imply little come Saturday evening in Birmingham, a brief 110-mile journey from Auburn. And it won’t be a house sport for the AU, however it ought to really feel prefer it from the gang. Houston’s strolling into enemy territory and I don’t assume it’ll be sturdy sufficient to stroll out of the primetime matchup nonetheless with a season to play for.