2 min read • March 15, 2024
Posted in
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 may 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.
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.
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.
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.
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. It remains to be seen how involved the team’s leading scorer will be during the opening round, but oblique injuries tend to linger and there is no way he is 100% a little more than two weeks removed from the original injury. 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.
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.
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.
Creighton enters the NCAA tournament healthy, finishing the regular season 23-8 and 14-6 in conference.
Baylor finished the regular season healthy and had 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.
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 the court if the team advances. 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.
SDSU finished the regular season 22-9 and went 11-7 in conference.
Illinois finished second in the Big Ten with a 14-6 conference record and an overall record of 23-8.
Auburn got through the regular season unscathed with a 24-7 overall record and a 13-5 conference record.
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.
Washington lost senior center Franck Kepnang 10 games into the season with a knee injury, leaving them vulnerable to size during the NCAA tournament.
The rest of their starting lineup is intact and the Huskies went 17-14 during the regular season.
Wisconsin made it through the regular season without any injury issues. The Badgers went 11-9 in conference play and 19-12 overall.
South Carolina avoided major injury during the regular season, finishing 25-6 overall and 13-5 in the SEC.
The Gators made it through the regular season healthy with a 21-10 overall record and a 11-7 conference record.
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.
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.
The Broncos went 22-9 overall and 13-5 in conference play without any major injuries to key role players.
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.
Written by
