Houston HC Kelvin Sampson Defends Marcus Sasser Playing vs. NKU Amid Groin Injury

After Marcus Sasser was removed from Houston's 63-52 win over Northern Kentucky in the NCAA tournament, head coach Kelvin Sampson defended playing the star guard even though he came into the game with a groin injury.

Speaking to reporters following the game, Sampson said Sasser and the team's trainer felt he was healthy enough to play.

"I've been with Marcus for four years," Sampson explained. "I trust Marcus and I trust our trainer. I leave those decisions up to them. Marcus knows his body better than anyone in this room, including me. So I would have been fine if Marcus had decided not to play tonight, but he wanted to give it a try because he thought he was at a high enough percentage out of 100 that he could go."

Sasser originally injured his groin in the first half of Houston's AAC tournament semifinal win over Cincinnati on March 11. The injury occurred when he slipped on the court while dribbling the ball.

Sampson said after that game the team's medical staff was still evaluating Sasser, but he wanted to "err on the side of holding him out" of the AAC title game against Memphis. The senior guard sat out that contest, a 75-65 loss for the Cougars.

Despite the loss, Houston still earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament. Sasser didn't practice with the team until Wednesday. He was officially listed as a game-time decision against Northern Kentucky.

Sasser was in the starting lineup and played 14 minutes before being pulled from the game. He finished with five points and two rebounds. The AAC Player of the Year said afterward there is "definitely" a chance he can play in Saturday's game against Auburn.

Houston struggled against the No. 16 seed Norse before closing the game on an 8-2 run to avoid the massive upset. Sixty-three points was the team's fifth-lowest scoring output in a game all season.

Sasser leads the Cougars in scoring average (16.7 points per game) and is shooting 38.2 percent from three-point range. The team shot 25 percent from behind the arc against Northern Kentucky.

Houston earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament for the first time since the 1982-83 season. Its 32 wins are tied for the second-most in school history.

The Cougars and Tigers will play in the second round of the NCAA tournament at 7:10 p.m. ET on Saturday.