Iowa State Cyclones forward Joshua Jefferson got injured in the opening minutes of their first-round matchup against the Tennessee State Tigers in the NCAA Tournament.
Jefferson attempted a layup and landed awkwardly on his feet, injuring his ankle. He had to leave the floor after just 3 minutes and did not return for the rest of the game.
Despite his absence, the Cyclones won and advanced to the second round. Jefferson sat out the second-round matchup against the Kentucky Wildcats.
The Cyclones are now in the Sweet 16, and they’re hoping to get their star player back on the court. The Cyclones will play the Tennessee Volunteers at the United Center in Chicago on Friday. Days before the game, CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein posted an update on Jefferson.
“Iowa State’s Joshua Jefferson (ankle) is ‘continuing to progress’ after suffering an injury last Friday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament,” he wrote.
It’s too soon to predict whether he’ll play or not, especially because ankle injuries are tricky, but Jefferson is making progress.
After he was injured, Jefferson was asked what he was doing to help his recovery.
“A lot of compression and then moving it around,” he said. “The best thing right now is to get it moving as much as I can, and then start to be able to walk again.”
Jefferson has missed two games, and the third one is just days away.
T.J. Otzelberger on Joshua Jefferson’s Injury
Jefferson has been sidelined from any kind of team activity since the injury. His primary focus is to get fully fit so he can join his team for the rest of the NCAA Tournament. He was seen using crutches to walk when he showed up at the Cyclones practice on Saturday.
T.J. Otzelberger said that they were still evaluating his day-to-day progress.
“Right now we’re continuing to evaluate,” he said. “It appears unlikely, but you never want to rule out anything. We’ll just continue to do what we can in his best interest, and we’ll be prepared to go either way.”
The next few days leading up to Friday’s game will be very important for Jefferson and the Cyclones.
Read More:
Who Are Brayden Burries’ Parents? A Look Into the Family Life of Arizona Star Guard
Embarrassment for ESPN as Jon Scheyer Interview Suffers Glitch Before NCAA Tournament
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in baseball, tennis, college football, men’s college basketball, women’s college basketball, and college baseball!
