Houston’s March Madness hopes may come down to Sasser health

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — For top-seeded Houston, any hope of winning a national title may come down to Marcus Sasser’s ailing groin.

Not to worry, Sasser said Friday.

He’s definitely playing in the Cougars’ next NCAA Tournament game.

“It’s not a game-time decision no more,” Sasser said, sitting at his locker in Legacy Arena, the same spot where the outlook seemed so much bleaker less than 24 hours earlier. “I feel great. I feel good. I feel normal.”

The All-American guard pulled himself out of a hard-fought victory over 16th-seeded Northern Kentucky in the March Madness opener, casting serious doubts on his status for a second-round game Saturday against Auburn.

Especially when Sasser said afterward that the pain felt “around a seven out of 10.”

But the groin felt better before he went to bed. When he awoke, it seemed just fine.

Sasser now wonders if he was being a little too cautious because he didn’t want to risk a more serious problem.

“When I first woke up, I walked around and I didn’t feel no pain,” he said. “I was like, ‘I’m going for sure.’”

But Sasser conceded that the high stakes of the game certainly had an impact on his decision. He probably would’ve considered sitting out, just to be on the safe side, if this was a meaningless contest in December.

Groin injuries can be notoriously tricky when trying to determine if an athlete is fully recovered, which prompts trainers to be especially mindful to the risk of reinjury.

“This a win-or-go-home game,” Sasser said. “I’m going to go out and give it my all. You really don’t know when your last game is. Plus, this is my last year of college, so I definitely want to go out with a bang.”

Coach Kelvin Sampson didn’t express any regrets about starting Sasser five days after he injured his groin in the American Athletic Conference Tournament, saying he left the decision in the hands of the training staff and his star player.

“It’s not the first injury I’ve dealt with,” Sampson said.

“I deal with his injury like I’ve dealt with every injury of any kid we’ve had for 34 years. It’s up to him and the trainer. I don’t make any decisions. They say, ‘Why did you play him?’ I didn’t. I play him if he’s healthy, if the trainer thinks he can go and the kid thinks he can go. I trust Marcus.”

Sasser didn’t sound all that hopeful after playing less than 14 minutes against Northern Kentucky.

He scored five points — well below his team-leading 17.1 average — and didn’t return after halftime.