After dominating their season openers, Houston basketball will take on Auburn in the Battleground 2k24 Showdown Saturday night at Toyota Center in downtown Houston.
The #4 Cougars will be facing the #11 Tigers in the second matchup of this event in what is considered to be one of the early premier non-conference games of the season. UH enters this game after crushing Jackson State 97-40 in the second biggest season-opening win in school history with an extremely high shooting percentage (58% from the field and 60% from three).
The Tigers thrashed the American East Conference Champions 94-43 on Wednesday dominating the Catamounts on both sides of the ball all game.
This will be the third time the Cougars will play in Toyota Center. It will be consecutive seasons playing in this arena as Houston beat Texas A&M 70-66 last season there.
General information:
Teams: Houston (1-0) and Auburn (1-0)
Tip time: 8:35 pm CST
Watch: ESPNU/ESPN+
Listen: 950 AM KPRC
Our two writers for both these programs, Maanav Gupta (Houston) and Craig Noyes (Auburn) take a look at this game and do a Q&A about the opposing teams.
Q: Who are the key players for Auburn that will impact this game?
Auburn will be led by All-SEC first-team center Johni Broome, who is in his third year on the Plains after spending two years at Morehead State and has turned into one of the nation’s best. Broome ranked in the top ten in blocks in the nation in the 2023-24 season and has developed his all-around game on offense, even improving his three-point percentage from 29% in 2022 to 35.4% in 2023 after not attempting any three-pointers his two years at Morehead State.
Another key player will be the hot and cold forward Chad Baker-Mazara. Now, in his second season with the Tigers, he earned preseason All-SEC third-team honors and can be an explosive scoring threat at all three levels. Baker-Mazara can have games like his season opener against Vermont, where he hit three consecutive threes but has seen a share of off days. What version of Baker-Mazara do we see makes him a key player for the Tigers.
Q: What are the strengths for the Tigers in this matchup?
Auburn’s biggest strength is its depth. The Tigers under Bruce Pearl have often run a ten-man or more lineup, and for most squads, the talent seems to tail-end with the eight through ten. Still, Auburn has talent littered throughout the depth chart, with anyone being capable of finding their way into the starting lineup.
The Tigers also possess elite athletes who seem to be bigger, stronger, and faster than most of their opponents, often causing problems in transition or the paint. They have high-flyers like Jahki Howard and Dylan Cardwell but also quick and shifty guards like Taahad Pettiford and Denver Jones. Auburn’s elite conditioning and versatility can cause problems for many opposing coaches.
Q: How is this game being viewed from Auburn’s POV?
It is almost viewed as a mirror match as both teams share many similarities with possessing elite defenses and offenses capable of scoring at a high level but can struggle with shooting percentages.
Auburn is excited about the opportunity to play a talented team this early in the season. Last year lacked the out-of-conference tests that some surmise led to the unexpected first-round exit in March. Many view this as an exciting matchup of two of the nation’s best, as KenPom has Houston as No. 1 and Auburn as No. 2.
Q: Who will give Auburn the most trouble to guard?
Houston has a combination of starting guards that can be big trouble to guard if they got hot shooting wise. Junior guard Emanuel Sharp is one of the best shooters for the team at almost 37% from three and has the ability to take over a game. Last season vs Texas A&M in Toyota Center, Sharp scored 21 points and the game winning shot. The Tampa native also has the ability to drive to the hoop and finish in the paint. Graduate guard LJ Cryer is the best shooter for the Cougars, and will be the leading scorer for the team on most nights. Cryer shoots at an almost 39% clip from three and had close to 16 points per game. The 6’1 guard has the ability to pile it on from downtown.
Q: What does Houston look like without Jamal Shead?
Even without program leader Jamal Shead who was drafted by the Toronto Raptors, the Cougars still have the same expectations as last season to go all the way. UH signed junior transfer point guard Milos Uzan from Oklahoma to take the position, and can offer a solid shot and experience to keep the transition relatively smooth. However, Houston has improved in terms of their depth and shooting from last season. UH is now clearly 10 man deep for Kelvin Sampson and offers a variety of shooters and offensive skill besides Cryer, Sharp and Uzan. Off the bench, sophomore guard Terrance Arceneaux is back, graduate guard Mylik Wilson returns along with senior guard Ramon Walker Jr. Houston’s prominent recruit from last year, freshman guard Mercy Miller can also offer some quick scoring and shooting. Sophomore forward Jojo Tugler is physically talented, and even brings a jumpshot this season. As long as the Cougars stay healthy, this team just might be more well-rounded and balanced.
Q: How is this game being viewed from Houston’s POV?
UH is viewing this as a tremendous learning opportunity early in the season to see where they are and how this new rotation truly is. While Houston plays high quality opponents throughout conference play, a big matchup like this offers something different with a tough opponent in November. Head coach Kelvin Sampson in this pre-game Zoom availability offered insight about their physicality and defense, their depth, and how the Tigers are as difficult to prepare for as they are to play. Broome being the best player on the floor certainly offers its challenges.
Houston has a 7-1 all time lead over Auburn in the series, winning the last six meetings. This will be the first matchup since the 2023 NCAA Tournament, where UH won 81-64 in the Round of 32. Head coach Bruce Pearl is 0-1 vs Houston and Kelvin Sampson.
