Joshua Jefferson is considered a game-time decision for the Iowa State Cyclones, with the coaching staff, led by T.J. Otzelberger, hoping the team’s senior standout will be available for the Sweet 16 game against Tennessee. The Cyclones and Volunteers are set to face off at the United Center tomorrow at 10 pm ET.
He suffered a sprained left ankle in the opening-round victory over Tennessee State and was forced to watch the second-round game against Kentucky from the sidelines. He was seen using a knee scooter and a boot during the game. While he had an MRI done on Monday, the test revealed nothing new. He did miss full practice on Wednesday and was forced to train separately with part of the coaching staff.
When coach Otzelberger last spoke about the injury, he had this to say:
“He’s working tirelessly every day. Countless sessions in the training room. Doing everything he can. His ankle is getting better every single day. It’s going to take right up to game-time. We’re going to give it every possible chance to do that and he’s doing all that he can do. There’s not any percentages, predictions, unlikely, likely… Each day, there is pretty significant progress, but we’ll see where we’re at game time Friday night.”
“He’s starting to walk a little bit now,” Otzelberger said. “It’s not perfect, but it is progress.”
Jefferson is the Cyclones’ second-best scorer this season, averaging 16.4 points per game. He’s also averaging 7.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game. He leads Iowa State in rebounds per game at the moment. He started in all 35 games of the regular season.
Who Is The Favorite For The Sweet 16 Game Between Iowa State And The Tennessee Volunteers?
The No. 2-seeded Cyclones are the favorites to advance to the Elite Eight in this instance. DraftKings is making them 3.5-point favorites for the game at the United Center this Friday night. The ESPN game predictor is more confident in victory than the bookies, giving Iowa State a 60.6% chance of winning the encounter.
The game is set for Friday at 10:10 pm ET and will air on TBS.
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