Houston’s Marcus Sasser to start against Auburn without minutes restriction: report

The Houston Cougars may have their star participant for Saturday’s second-round sport in opposition to the Auburn Tigers. 

Marcus Sasser, Houston’s main scorer, will begin on Saturday and not using a minutes restriction, based on a report by Stadium. 

Sasser injured his groin within the AAC match and didn’t play within the Cougars’ championship sport loss to the Memphis Tigers. 

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On Thursday, Sasser performed however appeared to worsen the damage within the first half in opposition to No. 16 seed Northern Kentucky, ending the sport with simply 14 minutes.

Sasser, who averages 16.7 factors, stated Friday he’ll be taking part in come tipoff Saturday in opposition to the Razorbacks.  

“I’m taking part in 100%. It’s not a game-time choice,” Sasser instructed Fox26 Friday. “I’m going to undergo apply in the present day, undergo warmups tomorrow and simply be prepared. 

Marcus Sasser (0) of the Houston Cougars seems to shoot within the first half in the course of the first spherical of the 2023 NCAA Match at Legacy Enviornment on the BJCC March 16, 2023, in Birmingham, Ala.  (Andy Hancock/NCAA Photographs by way of Getty Photos)

“You may reinjure it,” he added. “You reaggravate it, however that’s not in my head. I’m simply saying my prayers. And simply obtained to attempt to go on the market and play to my full power.”

Cougars head coach Kelvin Sampson instructed reporters Friday he’d go away the choice to play to Sasser and the Houston coaching employees. 

Houston guard Marcus Sasser brings the ball up in the course of the first half of a first-round NCAA Match sport in opposition to Northern Kentucky in Birmingham, Ala., Thursday, March 16, 2023.  (AP Photograph/Butch Dill)

“I cope with his damage like I’ve handled each damage of a child that we have had. … I do not make any choices,” Sampson stated, based on ESPN. “Individuals stated, ‘Why did you play him?’ I did not. I play him if he is wholesome. The coach thinks he can go, and the child thinks he can go. I belief Marcus. … If Marcus is damage, he’ll say, ‘Coach, I can not go,’ after which I will not play him. If he is on the market and he can play, then which means he can play. So he’ll play as many minutes as he can tomorrow night time. I do not know what number of minutes that’ll be, however that’ll be as much as Marcus.

“He is our greatest participant, I do know that. However I do not deal with him any totally different than I deal with anyone else in the event that they’re injured. I deal with all of them the identical.”

The No. 1 seed Cougars and the No. 9 seed Auburn Tigers tip off at 7:10 p.m. ET in Birmingham, Alabama.