Winners and Losers from Day 1 of 2023 NCAA Tournament results

Loser #3: Houston

Yes, in a literal sense, the Cougars won the game and that’s what matters. But Houston received all it could handle for 40 minutes, and history has not been kind to 1-seeds who struggle with their 16-seed.

Sluggish play aside, the story from this game will be star guard Marcus Sasser reinjuring his groin. Sasser was questionable for tonight’s game after sustaining an injury in the AAC Tournament. While I could not be further from a doctor, common sense seemed to suggest Houston should handle business without Sasser to give him a few extra days to heal. Especially since soft tissue injuries are notorious for recurrence.

Kelvin Sampson assuredly received better advice from his program’s medical staff than I could ever offer, but this could wind up being a brutal blow to Houston’s national championship hopes. It’s impossible to know when or if we’ll see Sasser again in the NCAA Tournament, but tonight the Cougars did not look like the same team in his absence.

For all we know this could be a minor tweak, and Sasser will likely try his hardest to play on Saturday.  Even if he’s not able to go, Houston is capable of beating Auburn without him, but this game now feels a lot scarier for the title hopefuls. According to Kelvin Sampson, Jamal Shead is battling a knee injury himself. The vibes certainly aren’t great right now for the betting favorites to cut down the nets.

It could also be important to note that Saturday’s game in Birmingham will be a de-facto home game for Auburn.