UH star Markus Sasser is now in big question on March Madness

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – Markus Sasser thought his groin feels better, definitely good enough to try it in NCAA Tournament.

The All-American quarterback started the top seed for the Houston Cougars against the 16th seed Northern Kentucky, and he certainly looked very good, missing an early three-pointer on Thursday night.

But it was all for the best player on the team expected to compete for the national championship.

Sasser only managed to score one more basket in less than 14 minutes of playing time. And when the second half began, he watched from the bench.

There he remained until the end of the night.

“He said it was fun,” said Houston coach Calvin Sampson. “So he shut it down, and that’s the right thing to do.”

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Now one of the biggest stars of the March Madness is under a huge question mark and Pumas could be in big trouble if they can’t make it to the second round on Saturday.

Houston will play ninth seed Auburn, a team that essentially plays at home in the first two rounds. The Tigers campus is just two hours from the Legacy Arena in central Birmingham.

“I have much more pressing things to worry about,” Sampson said of Auburn’s home court advantage. “I need to see how many healthy bodies we have now. This is perhaps the most important thing for us.”

Sampson also revealed that starting quarterback Jamal Shed was suffering from knee pain. Shed still managed to play over 36 minutes against the Norwegian, who played most of the game before the Cougars won 63-52.

Obviously the biggest concern is Sasser, who injured his groin in the semi-finals of an American Athletic Conference tournament last weekend.

Sasser missed the AAC Championship game and was greatly missed when Memphis knocked out the Cougars (32-3).

Despite the loss, Houston was still rewarded with the #1 seed.

Sasser took Monday and Tuesday off and had a light workout on Wednesday.

Sasser and the Houston coaching staff thought the extra rest, combined with the treatment he received, made him healthy enough to play in the NCAA opener.

Sampson nearly dropped to zero before he decided to send his best player in the starting five.

“We have great coaches and I have been working with Markus for four years now,” Sampson said. “I trust Marcus and our coaches. I leave the decision up to them. Marcus knows his body better than anyone in this room, myself included.

“I would be fine if Marcus decided not to play tonight. But he wanted to try. He thought it was a high enough percentage of 100 that he could go. how could”.

Sasser, who averaged 17.1 points per game, became Houston’s first-team Associated Press All-American since 1984.

He is a dynamic offensive leader and it was clear how much his absence meant when the Cougars struggled to put down Northern Kentucky.

Houston only made 4 out of 16 out of 3 points.

“We didn’t do open 3s all night,” Sampson said. “That’s the name of the game. When you have an open mind, you must put the cookies in the basket. And we have one of the best shooters in the country in Markus Sasser.”