Houston-Auburn showdown an early NCAA Tournament preview: 3 matchups to watch
One game into the season, the No. 4 Houston men's basketball team will take a big step up in competition.
After throttling Jackson State 97-40 in their season opener, the Cougars will face No. 11 Auburn on Saturday at the Toyota Center in downtown Houston.
Auburn (1-0), who looked equally as impressive in its season-opening win over Vermont, comes into the game boasting one of its best rosters in program history, led by national player of the year candidate Johni Broome. A 6-foot-10 fifth-year senior, Broome averaged 16.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 2.2 blocks last season.
Here are three key matchups to watch Saturday night.
Johni Broome vs. JoJo Tugler
Kelvin Sampson will likely put sophomore forward JoJo Tugler on Broome. Tugler is one of the most versatile defenders in the country and boasts a ridiculous 7-foot-6 wingspan. His length should give Broome issues, especially on the perimeter where Broome has been effective.
Broome shot 35.4% from the 3-point line last season, and worked hard on his improving his outside shot in the offseason. In Auburn's season opener, Broome knocked down 2-of-5 from long range. Sampson can also rotate J'Wan Roberts and Ja'Vier Francis onto Broome. Francis was held out of Houston's opener with a groin injury, but should be ready to go vs. Auburn.
LJ Cryer vs. JP Pegues
Auburn coach Bruce Pearl added JP Pegues through the transfer portal in the offseason. The former Furman guard is a high-level scorer with deep range. He averaged 18.4 points and shot 36.2% from 3-point range last season on 7.6 attempts per game.
Furman to Auburn is a big leap in competition for Pegues, and he'll get his first taste of that when he matches up with Houston guard LJ Cryer on Saturday. Cryer is one of the best guards in the country and a national player of the year candidate. Cryer is 10-of-18 from beyond the arc this season, if you include Houston's exhibition win over Texas A&M.
Milos Uzan vs. Chad Baker-Mazara
Featuring two dynamic playmakers, this might be the matchup that decides the game. Chad Baker-Mazara is a do-everything 6-foot-7 guard who averaged 10 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1 steal last season as a junior. He also shot 41.8% from the 3-point line.
Oklahoma transfer Milos Uzan gives the Cougars another perimeter threat in the starting lineup — Uzan, Cryer and Emanuel Sharp combined to go 7-of-12 from downtown in their win over Jackson State. But more importantly, Uzan can create open shots for teammates and is a versatile defender. His stat line against Jackson State was eye opening: 8 points, 10 assists, 7 rebounds and 4 steals in 26 minutes.
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Ben Sherman has been covering the sports world for most of his journalism career, including 17 years with The Oregonian/OregonLive. One of his favorite memories was covering the 1999 Fiesta Bowl - the first BCS National Championship Game - at Sun Devil Stadium.