2 min read • March 19, 2024
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For a breakdown on the health of several key players in the NCAA tournament, check out our March Madness injury guide here.
Although top center prospect Zach Edey is healthy, the Boilermakers are dealing with a recent right knee injury to sophomore guard and primary ball handler Braden Smith. He has also been playing through a minor left calf issue but the knee is the bigger concern.
Smith will likely tough it out for the NCAA tournament but don’t expect him to be the dynamic ball handler and defender that propelled Purdue to a 28-3 record this season.
The Huskies do not have any major injury issues to note. They finished the regular season with a 28-3 record and were 18-2 in the Big East including splitting the season series against Creighton.
Despite its 28-3 record during the regular season, Houston’s team SIC score takes a hit because three depth pieces are out for the season. Junior Ramon Walker Jr. suffered a torn lateral meniscus in late February, freshman Jessie Tugler recently underwent foot surgery and sophomore Terrance Arceneaux suffered a torn Achilles tendon in mid-December.
Arceneaux is the biggest loss to the rotation, as the 6-foot-6 guard averaged 5.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 0.7 assists in 11 games this season. Tugler and Walker averaged 16 and 10.9 minutes per game this season, respectively.
The Tar Heels enter the NCAA tournament unscathed after finishing the regular season with a 25-6 record and a 17-3 conference record. After injury issues two years ago in the tournament, senior Armando Bacot is fully healthy and has played in 32 games this season averaging 13.9 points, 10.1 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.5 blocks in 29.9 minutes per game.
Arizona does not have any major injuries of note. The Pac-12 regular season champs went 24-7 overall and 15-5 in conference play. The Wildcats went 3-3 against ranked opponents this season including a 78-73 win over Duke and a 92-84 loss to Purdue.
Senior guard Tyler Kolek missed the Big East conference tournament with an oblique injury he suffered on Feb. 28, but will reportedly be available for the NCAA tournament. Our panel of doctors are not expecting the oblique to be an issue in the NCAA tournament and he carries a SIC score of 87 for the opening round game against Western Kentucky. In 28 games this season, Kolek averaged 15 points, 4.7 rebounds and 7.6 assists on 48.6% shooting from the field and 40% shooting from 3-point range.
Tennessee does not have any major injuries of note heading into the NCAA tournament. The Volunteers went 24-7 overall and 14-4 in conference play.
Iowa State have been healthy a majority of the season, finishing with a regular season record of 25-7 with a 13-5 conference record.
Illinois finished second in the Big Ten with a 14-6 conference record and an overall record of 23-8.
Creighton enters the NCAA tournament healthy, finishing the regular season 23-8 and 14-6 in conference.
Baylor’s sophomore guard Langston Love has been a key scorer off the bench this season, but he enters the tournament with an ankle injury that has sapped his effectiveness lately.
Love suffered the ankle sprain on Feb. 6 and was out of action until Feb. 20. He played just 14 minutes on the ankle in the 78-71 loss to BYU on Feb. 20, then was out of commission until March 9 against Texas Tech.
He missed both of Baylor’s Big 12 conference tournament games and is set to be re-evaluated before the team’s matchup on Friday against #14 Colgate.
Our panel of docs do not expect him to be effective if he suits up, forcing the Bears to rely more heavily on their starters or look to another scoring option off the bench.
Love averaged 11 points per game during the regular season, but has not surpassed that total since Jan. 31 against UCF.
Baylor finished the regular season with an overall record of 22-9 with an 11-7 conference record.
The Wildcats have avoided major injury during the regular season, finishing with a 23-8 overall record and a 13-5 conference record.
Kansas didn’t last long in the Big 12 tournament without senior guard Kevin McCullar Jr. and senior center Hunter Dickinson, but both are expected to rejoin the rotation for the NCAA tournament. McCullar has not played since March 9 after missing a stretch from Feb. 17 to March 2 with a bone bruise in his knee.
While he will likely suit up for the Jayhawks in the tournament, it will be tough for him to be effective given his lack of recent playing time and the seriousness of the injury recovery. Dickinson, the 7-foot-2 former Michigan center, suffered a dislocated right shoulder March 9 against Houston. Although Dickinson will likely try to play through the injury with a shoulder strap, it will be tough for him to rebound effectively and there’s a high possibility he dislocates his shoulder again. He will require labrum surgery once the season is over. Dickinson averaged 18 points and 10.8 rebounds this season while shooting 55% from the field. McCullar averaged 18.3 points, 6 rebounds and 4.1 assists while shooting 45.4% from the field this season.
The Blue Devils enter the tournament healthy at key spots and finished the regular season 24-7 overall and 15-5 in conference play.
Sophomore guard Rylan Griffen left the team’s regular season finale with a calf injury and missed the SEC tournament. Although the grade of his calf strain is difficult to tell by video, calf strains tend to linger more than other muscle strains and Griffen will likely be dealing with the injury throughout the NCAA tournament.
It’s unlikely he can suit up and be effective in the opening rounds, but he could return to his previously healthy form if the team advances to the Sweet Sixteen. In 30 regular season games, Griffen averaged 11.1 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.9 assists while shooting 45% from the field and 38.2% from the 3-point line.
Auburn got through the regular season unscathed with a 24-7 overall record and a 13-5 conference record.
SDSU finished the regular season 22-9 and went 11-7 in conference.
The Bulldogs finished the regular season 25-7 with a conference record of 14-2. Gonzaga enters the NCAA tournament healthy.
Junior guard Chucky Hepburn was questionable during the Big Ten tournament with a lower body injury, but he shook that off for two straight 20+ point performances against Purdue and Illinois.
While the exact lower body injury has not been disclosed, Hepburn said he opted for acupuncture to help alleviate pain before last Saturday’s game.
Hepburn scored 22 points on 75% from the field in 38 minutes against the Boiler Makers, then had 20 points on 53.8% shooting in 36 minutes against Illinois.
The Pro Basketball Docs are not concerned about his availability for Friday’s matchup against #12 James Madison.
Badgers’ senior forward Tyler Wahl has played sparingly since suffering a knee injury March 10 against Purdue. He averaged 3.75 points in the Big Ten tournament while averaging 21.25 minutes per game compared to his usual 10.8 points in 28.2 minutes during the regular season.
Wahl downplayed his injury after Saturday’s overtime win against the Boiler Makers and should be available in limited fashion during the tournament.
The four days off between games should have him moving a little better against #12 James Madison on Friday.
The Badgers went 11-9 in conference play and 19-12 overall.
The Gaels lost starting sophomore forward Joshua Jefferson to a knee injury in mid-February, while sophomore center Harry Wessels enters the NCAA tournament battling an arm injury. Wessels last played Feb. 20 against University of San Francisco, while Jefferson’s last game game on Feb. 10.
Jefferson is the bigger loss, averaging 10.2 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game compared to 4.4 points and 3.6 rebounds per game for Wessels.
BYU finished the regular season healthy, with a conference record of 10-8 and an overall record of 22-9.
Clemson lost two depth pieces during the course of the regular season with senior guard Alex Hemenway out for the season with a leg injury and senior forward Bas Leyte out for the season with a shoulder injury.
The Tigers went 21-11 during the regular season, finishing fifth in the ACC.
South Carolina avoided major injury during the regular season, finishing 25-6 overall and 13-5 in the SEC. Senior guards Myles Stute and Ta'Lon Cooper enter the tournament battling minor injuries, but both should play in the opening round against Oregon.
Texas Tech is down two key scorers in 7-foot senior Warren Washington and 6-foot-6 senior Devan Cambridge. Washington has played in just one game since injuring his foot against Kansas on Feb. 12 and he is unlikely to make an appearance in the tournament.
Cambridge suffered a season-ending knee injury on Dec. 6.
Sophomore forward Darrion Williams suffered an ankle sprain last Thursday in the Big 12 Tournament quarterfinals, but he returned to the game and should be fine for Thursday’s matchup against NC State.
The Cougars finished second to Arizona in the Pac-12 this season with a 24-9 regular season record with a 14-6 conference record.
Texas finished 20-12 in the regular season and went 9-9 in conference play. The Longhorns enter the NCAA tournament without any major injuries of note.
The Gators lost sophomore center Micah Handlogten to a severe lower left leg injury on Sunday. He will miss the tournament and his recovery will extend into next season after the tibia/fibula fracture. The 7-foot-1 sophomore is averaging 5.5 points and 7.1 rebounds in 19.5 minutes per game while shooting 62.2% from the field. Florida had a 21-10 overall record and a 11-7 conference record.
Dayton’s lone injury of note came in its first game of the regular season. On Nov. 6 against SIU Edwardsville, junior guard Malachi Smith suffered a season-ending knee injury.
Smith averaged 7.6 points and a team-leading 5.8 assists last season.
The Mountain West champions made it through the regular season without injury issues, finishing 26-5 overall and 14-4 in conference play.
While the Cornhuskers’ main rotation players are healthy, they are down three depth players in freshman guard Eli Rice, junior forward Blaise Keita and freshman guard Ramel Lloyd Jr.
Keita and Lloyd did not appear in a game this season, while Rice played in 17 games and averaged 4.2 points and 1.6 rebounds per game in 9.8 minutes.
Junior guard C.J. Wilcher missed one of the Big Ten Tournament games with an illness, but that should not be an issue in the team’s first matchup Friday against Texas A&M
Despite having no injury issues of not entering the tournament, the Bulldogs went 21-13 in the regular season and were 8-10 in conference play.
Last season’s Cinderella story enters the NCAA tournament healthy and gets a first round matchup against Northwestern. The Owls finished second in the American Athletic Conference with a 14-4 conference record and an overall record of 25-8.
The Wildcats lost senior guard Ty Berry to a torn meniscus in mid-February and senior center Matthew Nicholson is out until late March with a leg injury he picked up in early March.
Berry averaged 11.6 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 23 games this season while Nicholson is averaging 5.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists on 65.7% shooting.
Tom Izzo’s crew has no major injury issues of note, although senior forward (and second leading scorer) Malik Hall suffered a minor left ankle sprain in last Friday’s loss to Purdue.
Hall remained in the game and has three days to keep the swelling down before Thursday’s matchup against Mississippi State.
The Spartans went 19-14 overall and were 10-10 in conference play.
The Aggies enter the NCAA tournament without any injury issues. Texas A&M went 20-14 overall and were 9-9 in conference play in the SEC.
TCU enters the NCAA tournament without any major injury issues. The team went 21-12 overall during the regular season and 9-9 in conference play.
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