As Auburn’s offense clicks, it’ll get defensive test against top-seeded Houston

That offensive success is set to be put to the test against top-seeded Houston, though. When the Tigers and Cougars square off at 6:10 p.m. Saturday at Legacy Arena in the NCAA Tournament’s Round of 32, ninth-seeded Auburn will be seeing one of the best defenses in Division I.

“They’re a physical team,” Auburn center Johni Broome said. “They want to try to make you uncomfortable and make you take bad shots, but we just have to execute our offense well and get the shots that we want to take.”

Houston’s scoring defense is one of the best in the nation. The Cougars sit at No. 4 in KenPom’s adjusted defensive efficiency ranking, thanks in large part to having a nation’s best 36.1% field goal percentage. Their defense also allows an average of 56.4 points per game, which is the second fewest in Division I.

The Cougars have allowed 60 or more points in less than half their games, and only four teams — South Florida, Memphis, Alabama and Central Florida — have scored more than 70 points against them.

They’re also a top-25 rebounding team, averaging the 19th-most rebounds per game in Division I while logging the seventh-best rebounding margin.

“You watch the guys, watch tape, you know, watch them just run to the glass and run through people,” Auburn coach Bruce Pearl said. “And knowing that we’re going to have to put bodies on bodies, and some of our guys may not be able to get a rebound, but they have to make sure that their matchup doesn’t get a rebound. So our biggest challenge tomorrow will be keeping Houston off the glass.”

The two Cougars who do the most on the glass are forwards J’Wan Roberts and Jarace Walker, who average a respective 7.9 and 6.6 rebounds per game.

Guard Jamal Shead is also a defensive presence for the Cougars, winning American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year honors this season. He’s averaging 1.8 steals per game.

“He is, I think in many ways, their heart and their soul, and just does a great job getting downhill, does a great job facilitating,” Pearl said of Shead. “Will just take the ball from you, whether you want him to or not. He is going to take your rock.”