College Basketball: Injuries Sure to Impact March Madness

College basketball’s regular season is approaching its final weekend, and key players around the country are going on the shelf just as others are on the mend. The absence of one player can turn a contender into a pretender, but a well-timed return can bring a roster together at the most pivotal time of the season. These are the injury storylines that will mean the most during Championship Week and beyond.

Jamal Branch, St. John’s

The Johnnies’ recent streak of wins has them comfortably in the tournament field, but Steve Lavin’s already limited bench took a major hit when sixth man Jamal Branch pulled a hammy in the second half of last Saturday’s win over Georgetown. Branch has been a starter at times this year, but even as a substitute, his role always centers on being a stabilizing force on a team that sometimes struggles to score in the half court.

Branch’s biggest contribution is his decision-making, as he often relieves the enigmatic Rysheed Jordan. His absence is notable because St. John’s is on the short list of teams that could realistically knock off Villanova in the Big East Tournament. The Johnnies end the regular season at Villanova this Saturday. It’s currently uncertain if Branch, who missed Wednesday’s game at Marquette, will suit up in Philly. Without Branch, next up on the Red Storm bench is a walk-on, freshman Myles Stewart.

Traevon Jackson, Wisconsin

The Badgers have cruised through the Big Ten even without the services of their veteran point guard, only dropping a single game to Maryland since Jackson fractured his foot in Wisky’s only other Big Ten loss (at Rutgers with Frank Kaminsky sitting out due to concussion symptoms). While the play of Bronson Koenig has lightened the blow of losing Jackson, it’s foolish to think that the Badgers don’t become exponentially better with Jackson back in the fold.

The re-addition of Jackson sends Koenig back to the bench where he immediately reverts to being one of the nation’s best subs, and provides Bo Ryan with the type of depth and flexibility in the backcourt that is necessary for a deep run in March. The latest news suggests that Jackson probably won’t play in the Big Ten tournament, but I expect Jackson to be going full throttle by the second game of the NCAA’s.

Perry Ellis, Kansas

The Jayhawks have already locked up an 11th consecutive Big 12 title, so Ellis’ absence from this weekend’s regular season finale against Oklahoma won’t be the end of the world. It may be smart to sit him during the first game of the Big 12 Tournament as well. The sprained knee that Ellis suffered on Tuesday against West Virginia could be a lingering injury if not given time to heal properly, but with the eligibility of Cliff Alexander looking shaky at best, it’s important that Perry Ellis doesn’t spend too much time wearing Perry Ellis on the sidelines.

A frontcourt that has looked very strong at certain points this season now looks to be the Achilles’ heel of a team that had seemingly found themselves amid the chaos of the Big 12. Without Ellis, the Jayhawks simply aren’t a Final Four contender, making the health of his knee a high priority going forward.

Sam Cassell Jr., UConn

The Huskies are the longest of long shots when it comes to making the NCAA Tournament as an at-large (after losing to Memphis…they have no shot), but the returning Sam Cassell Jr. represents a solid backcourt piece that Kevin Ollie can bring back into the fold just in-time for a desperation run at the American’s conference tournament title. The bubble will be rooting against the Huskies, hoping that the defending champs can’t weasel their way into the field, but Cassell Jr. makes that occurrence more plausible.

Ryan Boatright has carried the Huskies in a way that few other players could this year, and if Cassell Jr. can offer anything in his return from a leg injury, it will mean a lot to UConn’s weary star senior (he may even get a few minutes of rest). Cassell Jr. didn’t make his return against Memphis last night and continues to be listed as questionable.

Carson Desrosiers, Providence

Just as the aforementioned Branch limits St. John’s in their ability to compete with Villanova, not having Carson Desrosiers hampers the Friars in their bid to knock off Nova and repeat as Big East Tournament champions. Desrosiers is a talented big man who does a variety things well from the five-spot. His contributions are often overshadowed by the likes of Kris Dunn and LaDontae Henton, but when it comes to defending the likes of Daniel Ochefu, his importance comes to the forefront.

The knee injury that has kept him out of action wasn’t originally thought to be serious, but the effects have lingered, and now his availability going forward is a constant worry for a team that is young and thin on the inside. He’s had his knee drained twice since injuring himself in practice, but it looks like this will be an issue that won’t be going away soon. That spells bad news for the Friars and their hopes of making a prolonged appearance in March.

Dwayne Polee, San Diego State

Any time a players’ heart is the center of an injury issue, their basketball career is understandably a secondary thought. Dwayne Polee collapsed on the court during a game against UC-Riverside just before Christmas. It was the second time he’s had such an episode at San Diego State. He collapsed during a practice a year earlier as well. His anticipated return was a 13-minute stint against San Jose State last week that gave Aztec fans plenty of hope that he would return to give the team a needed jolt on offense.

However, since the most recent incident, Polee has been living with a heart monitor in his chest. It was an irregularity detected by his heart monitor that held him out of action on Wednesday against Boise State (a game that San Diego State would lose). Polee’s benching offers a glimpse of Steve Fisher’s bizarre reality for the rest of this season. The availability of his most athletic and versatile scorer will be consistently inconsistent. With Polee on the court, the Aztecs have enough offense to be a second weekend tournament team. Without him, scoring will continue to be a glaring issue for the Aztecs.

Live Feed

Cincinnati Basketball: Bearcats announce upcoming matchups against ACC foe Georgia Tech /

Cincy on the Prowl

College Basketball: Ranking the Nine "Blue Blood" programsGo Joe Bruin

Miami basketball win rankings over the last 2 seasonsCanes Warning

UCLA Basketball: Best wins of the Mick Cronin EraGo Joe Bruin

Miami Basketball big opportunity at Kentucky in ACC/SEC ChallengeCanes Warning

South Carolina Baseball: Florida silences Gamecocks' bats to end USC's season in super regionalGarnet and Cocky

Justin Anderson, Virginia

Bad luck has continued to haunt Virginia’s most important player. Just as he seemed poised to return from a finger injury that has sidelined him for weeks, Anderson was forced to undergo an emergency appendectomy that will keep him out of an important conference matchup with Louisville. Once thought to be a lock to return before the ACC Tournament, this new health issue throws several situations into flux.

Can the Cavs win the ACC Tournament without Anderson? Does the selection committee seed Virginia under the assumption that Anderson will or won’t play? What we do know is that the team that many think is best built to beat Kentucky isn’t close to being able to pull that off without Anderson. A potentially historic run for the Hoos rests on the health of Anderson.

Juwan Staten, West Virginia

It’s to be expected that the roughest, toughest team in the country is going to be a little banged up when March rolls around, but the Mountaineers traveled to Kansas earlier this week minus both pieces of their starting backcourt. That’s concerning. If healthy, the Mounties will be an intriguing tournament outfit. Games are won ugly in March, and that’s how West Virginia wins games year round.

We also know they’ll have the coaching, as Bob Huggins has continued to prove his worth year after year. The issue revolves around the health of Juwan Staten, a scoring guard who has Kemba Walker and Shabazz Napier-type elements of unconsciousness to his game. If Staten can get past his knee injury, he has the ability to put the Mounties on his back in the same way that Dasean Butler carried a similarly rugged West Virginia squad to a Final Four. However, if Staten continues to be hobbled, his team will quickly become a trendy pick to fall victim to a first round upset.

Next: Busting Bracketology: March 4th - A New 1 Seed

More from Busting Brackets

Home/March Madness