Elite defenses clash as No. 11 Auburn visits No. 4 Houston
No. 11 Auburn heads to No. 4 Houston for a Saturday night rematch of last season's NCAA Tournament clash.
The Cougars beat the Tigers 81-64 in the second round in March and both teams have rosters loaded with players who experienced that game.
A defensive showdown could await, as Kenpom.com analytics has Houston ranked No. 1 and Auburn No. 2.
"We are the two top teams on defense in the country according to Kenpom," Tigers coach Bruce Pearl said. "So, it could be the first team to score 50 points wins."
Preseason All-American Johni Broome had 12 points and seven rebounds in a 94-43 season-opening home win against Vermont on Wednesday. Miles Kelly came off the bench to lead Auburn (1-0) with 21 points. Denver Jones scored 16 points, Chaney Johnson added 13 and Chad Baker-Mazara had 11.
Because the Tigers have a deep, veteran roster, Houston coach Kelvin Sampson said he expects at least 10 Auburn players will get double-digit minutes in playing time.
"You have got to be really on your execution on baseline out of bounds plays, sidelines out of bounds plays and out of timeout plays," Sampson said. "(Auburn) plays anywhere from five to seven different defenses and has a first-team All-American. Which means every game they play they'll be favored to win because they have the best player on the floor just about every night."
Houston (1-0) opened its season with a 97-40 home win against Jackson State on Monday. LJ Cryer had 16 points, Mylik Wilson scored 15 and J'Wan Roberts (14) and Ramon Walker Jr. (10) also scored in double figures.
The Cougars shot 60 percent from 3-point range (12 of 20) and scored 47 points off the bench. Jackson State was held to zero fast break points and only managed two second-chance points.
"Houston is well coached," Pearl said. "Kelvin Sampson teams have played the same way for a long time. They play hard, they play physical and are a great rebounding team. They are a great defensive team that wins every 50-50 ball. They play the right way and as a team. There's a culture there for sure."
Pearl said the team that wins the rebounding battle will hold an advantage. Auburn held a 43-31 edge against Vermont and Houston outrebounded Jackson State 39-25.
"They bring back all but one player, so we are going to get exposed," Pearl said. "We think it'll be important as to whoever wins the rebounding battle."
Both coaches are veterans and know each other well, which might not always be an advantage according to Sampson.
"Bruce's teams are always hard to play against," Sampson said. "Some teams are hard to prepare for but easier to play against. Then there are teams that are hard to prepare for and hard to play against. His teams are like that. They create havoc because every possession is an opportunity to force a turnover."
This is the first in a home-and-home series between the two teams. Next year the Cougars will travel to Alabama to play the Tigers.
--Field Level Media
Copyright 2024 STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited.
Time | Team | Play | Score | |
---|---|---|---|---|
7:10 | +1 | L.J. Cryer makes regular free throw 2 of 3 | 19-14 | |
7:10 | +1 | L.J. Cryer makes regular free throw 1 of 3 | 19-13 | |
7:10 | Â | Tahaad Pettiford shooting foul (L.J. Cryer draws the foul) | Â | |
7:14 | Â | Miles Kelly turnover (bad pass) (L.J. Cryer steals) | Â | |
7:18 | Â | Johni Broome defensive rebound | Â | |
7:20 | Â | Johni Broome blocks J'Wan Roberts's two point layup | Â | |
7:36 | Â | Cougars 30 second timeout | Â | |
7:40 | +3 | Tahaad Pettiford makes three point stepback bank jump shot | 19-12 | |
7:48 | Â | Miles Kelly defensive rebound | Â | |
7:50 | Â | Mylik Wilson misses two point pullup jump shot | Â | |
8:19 | +3 | Tahaad Pettiford makes three point stepback jump shot | 16-12 | |
8:44 | Â | Johni Broome defensive rebound | Â | |
8:46 | Â | Joseph Tugler misses three point jump shot | Â | |
8:53 | Â | Tahaad Pettiford personal foul (L.J. Cryer draws the foul) | Â | |
9:02 | Â | Cougars offensive rebound | Â | |
9:04 | Â | Johni Broome blocks Emanuel Sharp's two point layup | Â | |
9:07 | Â | Joseph Tugler offensive rebound | Â | |
9:09 | Â | Emanuel Sharp misses three point jump shot | Â | |
9:15 | Â | Mylik Wilson offensive rebound | Â | |
9:17 | Â | Johni Broome blocks J'Wan Roberts's two point hook shot | Â | |
9:44 | +2 | Johni Broome makes two point layup (Chaney Johnson assists) | 13-12 | |
9:59 | Â | Tigers defensive rebound | Â | |
10:01 | Â | Joseph Tugler misses two point hook shot | Â | |
10:22 | Â | Chaney Johnson turnover (out of bounds) | Â | |
10:51 | +2 | J'Wan Roberts makes two point bank hook shot | 11-12 | |
11:03 | Â | Cougars offensive rebound | Â | |
11:05 | Â | Chaney Johnson blocks Milos Uzan's two point driving layup | Â | |
11:20 | Â | Denver Jones turnover (traveling) | Â | |
11:29 | Â | Tigers defensive rebound | Â | |
11:33 | Â | Emanuel Sharp misses three point jump shot | Â | |
11:44 | +1 | Chaney Johnson makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 11-10 | |
11:44 | +1 | Chaney Johnson makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 10-10 | |
11:44 | Â | TV timeout | Â | |
11:44 | Â | Ja'Vier Francis shooting foul (Chaney Johnson draws the foul) | Â | |
12:10 | Â | Dylan Cardwell defensive rebound | Â | |
12:10 | Â | Terrance Arceneaux misses regular free throw 2 of 2 | Â | |
12:10 | Â | Terrance Arceneaux misses regular free throw 1 of 2 | Â | |
12:10 | Â | Miles Kelly shooting foul (Terrance Arceneaux draws the foul) | Â | |
12:26 | +2 | Dylan Cardwell makes two point dunk | 9-10 | |
12:31 | Â | Milos Uzan turnover (bad pass) (Dylan Cardwell steals) | Â | |
12:41 | +1 | Chaney Johnson makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 7-10 | |
12:41 | Â | Chaney Johnson misses regular free throw 1 of 2 | Â | |
12:41 | Â | Ramon Walker Jr. shooting foul (Chaney Johnson draws the foul) | Â | |
12:59 | +2 | Milos Uzan makes two point driving floating jump shot | 6-10 | |
13:19 | Â | Cougars defensive rebound | Â | |
13:21 | Â | Miles Kelly misses three point jump shot | Â | |
13:35 | Â | J'Wan Roberts turnover (lost ball) (Johni Broome steals) | Â | |
13:51 | +2 | Chaney Johnson makes two point layup | 6-8 | |
14:08 | +2 | Milos Uzan makes two point driving layup | 4-8 | |
14:24 | Â | Milos Uzan defensive rebound | Â | |
14:26 | Â | Tahaad Pettiford misses three point jump shot | Â | |
14:32 | Â | Tahaad Pettiford defensive rebound | Â | |
14:34 | Â | J'Wan Roberts misses two point floating jump shot | Â | |
15:00 | Â | TV timeout | Â | |
15:00 | Â | Chaney Johnson turnover (offensive foul) | Â | |
15:00 | Â | Chaney Johnson offensive foul (Joseph Tugler draws the foul) | Â | |
15:08 | Â | Johni Broome defensive rebound | Â | |
15:10 | Â | Emanuel Sharp misses two point jump shot | Â | |
15:31 | +2 | Denver Jones makes two point driving layup | 4-6 | |
15:34 | Â | Denver Jones offensive rebound | Â | |
15:36 | Â | Joseph Tugler blocks Denver Jones's three point jump shot | Â | |
15:44 | Â | Tahaad Pettiford offensive rebound | Â | |
15:46 | Â | Chaney Johnson misses three point jump shot | Â | |
16:04 | +2 | Milos Uzan makes two point turnaround jump shot | 2-6 | |
16:25 | +2 | Chaney Johnson makes two point pullup jump shot | 2-4 | |
16:34 | Â | L.J. Cryer personal foul (Johni Broome draws the foul) | Â | |
16:59 | +2 | J'Wan Roberts makes two point hook shot (Milos Uzan assists) | 0-4 | |
17:09 | Â | Chad Baker-Mazara personal foul (Emanuel Sharp draws the foul) | Â | |
17:14 | Â | Chad Baker-Mazara turnover (bad pass) (Joseph Tugler steals) | Â | |
17:17 | Â | L.J. Cryer personal foul (JP Pegues draws the foul) | Â | |
17:32 | Â | Milos Uzan turnover (out of bounds) | Â | |
18:00 | Â | J'Wan Roberts defensive rebound | Â | |
18:02 | Â | Johni Broome misses three point jump shot | Â | |
18:20 | +2 | Ja'Vier Francis makes two point turnaround hook shot | 0-2 | |
18:29 | Â | Ja'Vier Francis defensive rebound | Â | |
18:31 | Â | JP Pegues misses three point jump shot | Â | |
18:48 | Â | Emanuel Sharp turnover (lost ball) | Â | |
19:07 | Â | Chad Baker-Mazara personal foul (Emanuel Sharp draws the foul) | Â | |
19:27 | Â | Tigers turnover (shot clock violation) | Â | |
19:27 | Â | Tigers offensive rebound | Â | |
19:29 | Â | Johni Broome misses three point jump shot | Â | |
20:00 | Â | Johni Broome vs. Ja'Vier Francis (Tigers gains possession) | Â |
Min. Per Game | ||
Pts. Per Game | ||
Ast. Per Game | ||
Reb. Per Game | ||
Field Goal % | ||
Three Point % | ||
Free Throw % |
+ 1 | L.J. Cryer makes regular free throw 2 of 3 | 7:10 |
+ 1 | L.J. Cryer makes regular free throw 1 of 3 | 7:10 |
 | Tahaad Pettiford shooting foul (L.J. Cryer draws the foul) | 7:10 |
 | Miles Kelly turnover (bad pass) (L.J. Cryer steals) | 7:14 |
 | Johni Broome defensive rebound | 7:18 |
 | Johni Broome blocks J'Wan Roberts's two point layup | 7:20 |
 | Cougars 30 second timeout | 7:36 |
+ 3 | Tahaad Pettiford makes three point stepback bank jump shot | 7:40 |
 | Miles Kelly defensive rebound | 7:48 |
 | Mylik Wilson misses two point pullup jump shot | 7:50 |
+ 3 | Tahaad Pettiford makes three point stepback jump shot | 8:19 |
Team Stats | ||
---|---|---|
Points | 19 | 14 |
Field Goals | 7-14 (50.0%) | 6-17 (35.3%) |
3-Pointers | 2-9 (22.2%) | 0-3 (0.0%) |
Free Throws | 3-4 (75.0%) | 2-4 (50.0%) |
Total Rebounds | 11 | 8 |
Offensive | 2 | 2 |
Defensive | 6 | 3 |
Team | 3 | 3 |
Assists | 1 | 1 |
Steals | 2 | 2 |
Blocks | 4 | 1 |
Turnovers | 5 | 4 |
Fouls | 6 | 4 |
Technicals | 0 | 0 |
Top Scorers | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
C. Johnson F | 7 PTS | 0 REB | 1 AST | ||
M. Uzan G | 6 PTS | 1 REB | 1 AST |
On Court | PTS | REB | AST | FG | 3PT | FT | PF | STL | BLK | TO | OREB | DREB |
C. Johnson | 7 | 0 | 1 | 2/3 | 0/1 | 3/4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
T. Pettiford | 6 | 2 | 0 | 2/3 | 2/3 | 0/0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
J. Broome | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1/3 | 0/2 | 0/0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
M. Kelly | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0/1 | 0/1 | 0/0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
C. Moore | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
On Court | PTS | REB | AST | FG | 3PT | FT | PF | STL | BLK | TO | OREB | DREB |
C. Johnson | 7 | 0 | 1 | 2/3 | 0/1 | 3/4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
T. Pettiford | 6 | 2 | 0 | 2/3 | 2/3 | 0/0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
J. Broome | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1/3 | 0/2 | 0/0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
M. Kelly | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0/1 | 0/1 | 0/0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
C. Moore | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
On Bench | PTS | REB | AST | FG | 3PT | FT | PF | STL | BLK | TO | OREB | DREB |
C. Williams | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
P. Patterson | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
A. Scott | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
R. Trapp | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
B. Muschalek | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
J. Shay | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
D. Cardwell | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Total | 19 | 8 | 1 | 7/14 | 2/9 | 3/4 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 6 |
On Court | PTS | REB | AST | FG | 3PT | FT | PF | STL | BLK | TO | OREB | DREB |
M. Uzan | 6 | 1 | 1 | 3/4 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
J. Roberts | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2/5 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
L. Cryer | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 2/2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
E. Sharp | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/4 | 0/2 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
J. Tugler | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0/2 | 0/1 | 0/0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
On Court | PTS | REB | AST | FG | 3PT | FT | PF | STL | BLK | TO | OREB | DREB |
M. Uzan | 6 | 1 | 1 | 3/4 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
J. Roberts | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2/5 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
L. Cryer | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 2/2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
E. Sharp | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/4 | 0/2 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
J. Tugler | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0/2 | 0/1 | 0/0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
On Bench | PTS | REB | AST | FG | 3PT | FT | PF | STL | BLK | TO | OREB | DREB |
R. Walker Jr. | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
T. Arceneaux | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
M. Wilson | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0/1 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
C. Lath | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
K. Jefferson | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
C. McCarty | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
M. Miller | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Total | 14 | 5 | 1 | 6/17 | 0/3 | 2/4 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 3 |