Houston basketball fans have endured a stressful first week of March Madness. Star senior guard Marcus Sasser re-aggravated a groin injury he first suffered in the team's conference tournament, and lockdown defender Jamal Shead is dealing with a knee issue after the Cougars' opening game in the NCAA Tournament.

All of the ailments and questions just piled on top of what was a more-challenging-than-expected, 63-52 victory over No. 16 seed Northern Kentucky. The good news, though, is that the program is being led by two warriors determined to fight through any discomfort they are feeling ahead of Saturday's Round of 32 meeting with the Auburn Tigers.

Marcus Sasser: “I’m 100 percent playing tomorrow.” Jamal Shead: “I’m 100 percent going tomorrow,” Sports Illustrated's Pat Forde tweeted Friday.

Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl always has his teams well-prepared, but the absences of the AAC Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year would have made his job much easier. As it stands, the Tigers are already going to be at a home-court advantage in the Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Alabama. Houston will need its leaders to be in top form.

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Sasser, in particular, leaves a huge void when not on the court due to his ability to score points (16.7 per game) and apply pressure in the backcourt (1.6 steals per game). The team just does not flow with the same purpose or success without him. A minutes limit might be on the mind of head coach Kelvin Sampson, as Sasser has already re-injured the area once.

Realistically, Houston basketball is not going to obtain a magical healing elixir in one day's time. They will need a complete effort against a strong defensive team. The Cougars can win ugly when they have to, as evidenced by Thursday night, but Sasser and Shead's positive health update substantially increases their ceiling.

The quest to compete for a National Championship in their backyard continues Saturday, at approximately 7:10 p.m. ET.