Winning the NCAA Tournament isn’t always just about being the best team in the country, sometimes it helps to be the healthiest. The season is a grind and the nagging injuries that these teams accumulate can have a big impact on March Madness, so keep these important players and their status in mind when you’re filling out your bracket.
Penny Hardaway led the Memphis Tigers to another AAC Tournament title and he did it without his point guard in the championship game. Hunter, the former Iowa State and Texas guard, was held out with a foot injury. His backcourt mate proved in the AAC semifinals that he can carry the Tigers, but Memphis could be vulnerable to a first-round upset if Hunter cannot go.
Transfer forward JT Toppin was the Big 12 Player of the Year, but if McMillian and Williams are limited, he may not have enough help for a deep run in the NCAA Tournament. McMillian is expected to be available despite an upper-body injury and Williams should be recovered enough from the foot injury that held him out of the Big 12 Tournament semifinal loss to Arizona. However, both nagging issues could crop back up in the big dance.
Kentucky is a different team when Lamont Butler can’t go, and that’s been fairly often this season as he’s battled recurring shoulder injuries. Butler is the head of the snake defensively, one of the best point of attack defenders in the country, and is the Wildcats’ best offensive playmaker. He reaggrevated his injury in the SEC Tournament, but the former San Diego State point guard who helped lead the Aztecs to the national championship game in 2023 should be available for March Madness.
With last year’s senior point guard Jamal Shead in the NBA, J’Wan Roberts is the veteran leader for the Houston Cougars, and Kelvin Sampson’s group could be without him for the first weekend. He sprained his ankle in the Big 12 quarterfinals and sat out the rest of the way. Reports indicate that he’s trending in a positive direction, but he may not be 100% for a possible Round of 32 matchup against Gonzaga, a top-10 team in Kenpom which landed a No. 8 seed.
After losing his star forward for the end of the SEC Tournament with a knee injury, Nate Oats told the media on Monday that they “dodged one” regarding Nelson’s injury. He’ll still be a question mark against Robert Morris in the first round but should be ready for the Round of 32 on Sunday. Without Nelson, Alabama may not have the frontcourt firepower to get back to the Final Four.
Injuries can affect seeding on Selection Sunday, so TJ Otzelberger waited until Iowa State landed on the three-line in the South to announce the star guard Keshon Gilbert, the team’s second-leading scorer, would miss the NCAA Tournament with a muscle strain.
To make matters worse, point guard Tamin Lipsey was sidelined for the Cyclones’ Big 12 Tournament loss to BYU, and his status is in doubt for the first-round matchup against Lipscomb. Injuries slowed Iowa State down the stretch and to me puts a hard cap on how far this group can go in March.
After spraining his ankle in the ACC Quarterfinals, Duke rolled to a conference tournament title with the potential National Player of the Year on the bench. However, Flagg appeared to avoid significant damage and is expected to be available for the NCAA Tournament. Jon Scheyer could limit the freshman phenom in the Round of 64 against either American or Mt. St. Mary’s, but he should be a full-go by the second weekend, as long as the Blue Devils make it that far. Without Flagg, Duke is still a top 10 or maybe top 5 team in the country, but with him, it’s the National Championship favorite.