The Stretch 4: A true heavyweight fight awaits Auburn in Houston

Auburn and Houston have a whole lot in common. That should make Saturday night in the Space City something to behold.

As a reminder, we are still running a discount for the first week of Auburn basketball season. New subscribers can get their first 12 months at the Observer for either $4 per month or $40 for the whole year.

The Observer is planning to be at every single Auburn basketball game this season — including this weekend’s showdown in Houston and the upcoming Maui Invitational. So, if you’re looking for in-depth coverage of Bruce Pearl’s Tigers, join us for what is shaping up to be a fun campaign on the Plains.

Also, we still have some more Observer koozies from our sale earlier this season. I’m going to use this off week in football to try to clear the rest of the inventory out and put that money to the basketball travel budget.

The koozies are $5 each, and I accept either Venmo or PayPal. If you’d like to claim one, send an email to the1andonlyjf@gmail.com. First come, first serve. We’ve still got a few in both colors.

AUBURN — Saturday night at the Toyota Center will not be for the faint of heart.

Auburn at Houston is shaping up to be a non-conference game of epic proportions. The Tigers rose to No. 2 on KenPom after their stunning 51-point destruction of Vermont on Wednesday night. The Cougars, which started as the projected No. 1 team in the country, left zero doubt with a 57-point rout over Jackson State.

“They're hard, physical,” Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl said of Houston. “Great rebounding team, great defensive team. They win every 50-50 ball. They play the right way. They play as a team. There's a culture there, for sure.”

There are few squads in college basketball that can compete with the sheer experience, depth and physicality of both Auburn and Houston. Both teams are in the top 70 nationally in Division I experience, top 40 in minutes continuity and top 10 in bench minutes played in this opening week of the season.

“It's definitely going to be a dog fight,” power forward Chaney Johnson said Thursday. “But I feel like we’re prepared.”

And they both have incredible defensive pedigrees. Auburn was the nation’s No. 1 effective field goal defense in the country last season and was No. 3 in block percentage. Houston was the nation’s No. 2 effective field goal defense in the country and was No. 2 in block percentage — along with a No. 3 spot in steal percentage.

“I would think whoever wins the rebounding battle is going to be important, and both teams have demonstrated they're both really solid defensively,” Pearl said. “You know, the numbers say these are the top two teams in KenPom ratings. These are two of the top defensive teams in the country.

“So, it could be first to 50.”

Even with those elite defenses, both teams should feel confident in their respective offenses. Houston got at least four points from every single player that touched the floor in its opener, including 16 from fifth-year senior wing LJ Cryer and 14 from fifth-year senior forward J’Wan Roberts. Auburn had five different players score in double figures and hit multiple 3-pointers, led by Miles Kelly’s 21 on a 7-9 night from deep.

“With who they have on the defensive side, they're gonna try to out-rebound us and be more physical than us,” All-American center Johni Broome said. “But we’ve gotta be the more excited team to play. We have to bring the energy and be physical. Be ready for a battle.”

Auburn vs. Houston will be a true heavyweight fight, with both teams hoping to show the rest of the college basketball landscape that they should be treated like legitimate championship contenders from the very start of the season.

While the Tigers and the Cougars got to beat up on small-conference opponents to open the campaign, they’re going to leave the first week with, statistically, one of the biggest possible tests. That goes even more so far Auburn, as it’s having to play Houston inside its home city.

“I think, regardless of the outcome, playing the No. 1 or 2 team on the road and a team that is as physical and old as Houston — where is it going to get harder?” Pearl said. “Maybe at Duke? Maybe at Alabama? … So, if we can have some success — or we can even survive — that's going to be good for the development of the team.”

The Observer will be there Saturday night in Houston. To get you ready for this massive Battleground 2K matchup, here is this week’s edition of The Stretch 4.