Houston's Sasser starts at March Madness despite groin issue

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Marcus Sasser started for top-seeded Houston in the NCAA Tournament after being forced to the bench in the previous game by a groin injury. The All-American guard had declared a day earlier that his groin was fine and he was definitely playing in the second-round contest against No. 9 seed Auburn. But it was surely a relief to Houston fans when Sasser was announced as a starter. Especially after the Cougars struggled to beat 16th-seeded Northern Kentucky 63-52 in their opening game.