Auburn head coach Steven Pearl knows that nothing his team has seen through three games or in practice will come close to replicating their next test.
The Tigers are set to face Houston, the No. 1 team in the country, on Sunday, in both teams’ first high-major game this season. It’s a rematch of Auburn’s 74-69 win in 2024, but the Cougars are returning 44% of their production from last year while Auburn only returns Tahaad Pettiford.
It’s a Houston team that enters the game with a similar identity and personnel to last season, which reached the national championship game.
“No one can simulate what Houston does at that level. Even if we went best-on-best, we can’t even simulate it,” Pearl said. “What they do is so unique, and they play with a different level of fire and a different level of energy and passion.”
Given Auburn’s turnover from last season to now, few players on the current team have experience playing against Houston. Pettiford, Keyshawn Hall and Kevin Overton are the only ones who do, and Hall and Overton’s experiences came with other programs.
Overton’s Texas Tech team lost 69-61 to Houston at home last season, a game that he still remembers going into Sunday’s matchup.
“I’m tryna get getback from last year,” Overton said on Tuesday. “I didn’t win at the crib last time I played them, so this is just another good battle for me. Different team, but same approach for me.”
Hall’s UCF team suffered a one-point loss to Houston last year, a game in which Hall was held to six points on 2-for-12 shooting. As one of the team’s leaders, he has embraced his ability to prepare his younger teammates for the challenge that Houston will present.
“If you’re coming in thinking trying to score or whatever you’re thinking, just get it out of your mind. Just be ready to play physical and win,” Hall told reporters on Friday. “That’s what I’m telling them: Don’t think about nothing else but just winning and playing physical.”
For much of Kelvin Sampson’s tenure as head coach, Houston has been known for defense. This season, the Cougars rank first nationally in KenPom’s adjusted defensive efficiency ratings and 13th in effective field goal percentage allowed.
They like to slow the game down, playing best in a half court setting when they can run methodical offense and set their defense on the other end.
Houston’s backcourt has been especially effective through the first three games, with senior Emanual Sharp leading the way with 17.3 points per game. Freshman guard Kingston Flemings has been thrown into that mix this season and is averaging 15.7 points per game with 4.7 assists.
“They’re very versatile, very multiple at multiple positions. They just come at you in waves,” Pearl said. “We’ve got to do a good job of understanding personnel, knowing what their strengths are and just trying to take them away.”
Auburn’s play style has been the opposite of that this season, which creates an interesting matchup.
Rebounding is another area that Pearl emphasized when talking to reporters, as Houston is the biggest team Auburn has played so far this season. The Cougars rank 43rd nationally in offensive rebound percentage, per KenPom, testing Auburn’s relatively small front line.
“There’s gonna be possessions when all five of us have perfect checkouts and they’re still gonna get it, because that’s just what they do,” Pearl said. “So, as long as we limit the possessions where we give up four or five offensive rebounds and we try and limit them to one or two, that definitely improves your chances.”
Offensively, Pearl said he told the team not to expect whistles when going to the basket. He wants the team to embrace the physicality that the game will produce in all facets, as it might be a requirement to beat the No. 1 team in the country.
“They’re gonna let us play big boy basketball,” Pearl said, “and our guys gotta be ready to step up to the challenge.”
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