BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Houston coach Kelvin Sampson, fresh off a closer than expected win over No. 16 seed Northern Kentucky during the first round of the NCAA tournament on Thursday night, defended the decision to play star guard Marcus Sasser, who recently suffered a groin injury. Sasser -- the American Conference Player of the Year, All-American and one of the best scorers in college basketball -- injured his groin during the conference tournament less than a week ago. He started against Northern Kentucky but played only 14 minutes before aggravating the injury, limping to the bench and being pulled from the game. Houston struggled to pull away from Northern Kentucky and ultimately hung on to win 63-52 to advance in the tournament. Sasser told reporters after the game that there was "definitely" an opportunity for him to play against No. 9 seed  Auburn on Saturday. Sampson said that Sasser, who did not play in Houston's game on Sunday, didn't...