Joshua Jefferson officially listed out for Round of 32 matchup vs. Kentucky
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The injury bug has hit the Big 12 hard throughout the latter half of the college basketball season, and Iowa State was its latest victim during the NCAA Tournament’s opening round.
Not even five minutes into the Cyclones’ contest with Tennessee State, All-American forward Joshua Jefferson exited with what would later be deemed an ankle sprain.
There was speculation about the severity of the former Saint Mary’s transfer’s injury, but it was officially revealed just hours before Sunday’s tip-off that Jefferson would not be suiting up for Iowa State when they take on Kentucky at roughly 2:45 p.m. ET in St. Louis.
Jefferson’s absence is a large one for a variety of reasons. The senior acts as a do-it-all player for the Cyclones, averaging 16.4 points, 7.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game while shooting 47.1% from the floor.
But even with its star player going down, second-seeded Iowa State kept its foot on the gas against No. 15 Tennessee State, cruising to a 108-74 victory. With Jefferson sidelined, T.J. Otzelberger’s team opted for a more perimeter-oriented approach, attempting 24 three-pointers and assisting on 24 of 38 made field goals.
In Jefferson’s absence, the likes of senior Nate Heise (22 points), freshman Dominykas Pleta (9 points, 3 rebounds) and junior Blake Buchanan (11 points, 7 rebounds, 8 assists) stepped up.
But Kentucky will be a strong step up in competition, presenting a tough challenge for the now short-handed Cyclones. Here’s a look at the latest odds to win tonight’s game, via Kalshi:
Parker is currently the sports editor for the Enterprise-Journal in McComb, Mississippi. He's a graduate from Mizzou who has experience covering the Tiger football and basketball beats for SB Nation, and he's worked for a variety of sports news outlets in the past.
