Iowa State star Joshua Jefferson suffers leg injury in first-round matchup
By David Wasson
Published:
The second-seeded Iowa State Cyclones were having little trouble against 15th-seeded Tennessee State on Friday in the NCAA Tournament, but the status of one of Cyclones stars moving forward may be uncertain.
Cyclones second-team All-American guard Joshua Jefferson left Friday’s Midwest Region first-round game in St. Louis with a left leg injury after just three minutes of play.
Jefferson landed awkwardly and twisted his ankle after going up for a layup attempt early in the first half. He had to be helped off the floor by Iowa State staffers, unable to put weight on his left foot.
Jefferson went straight to the locker room, and CBS sideline reporter Jon Rothstein told viewers that Jefferson was having X-rays on the ankle. The Cyclones said Jefferson was doubtful to return, and he was seen walking with crutches later during the telecast.
A 6-foot-9 senior from Las Vegas, Jefferson delivers 16.9 points, a team-high 7.6 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game.
The Cyclones are making their 25th NCAA Tournament appearance – and fifth straight – as one of eight teams representing the Big 12. Iowa State (27-7) earned a No. 2 seed for the second time in three seasons, as it went to the Sweet 16 as a No. 2 seed in 2024 before falling to Illinois. The Iowa State-Tennessee State winner gets Kentucky in Sunday’s second round.
An APSE national award-winning writer and editor, David Wasson has almost four decades of experience in the print journalism business in Florida and Alabama. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and several national magazines and websites. His Twitter handle: @JustDWasson.
