Two of college basketball’s most storied programs, UConn and Michigan State, will collide in Washington, D.C., this Friday with an Elite Eight berth hanging in the balance.
Which Players Are Missing the UConn vs. Michigan State Sweet 16 Game?
Michigan State will be without guard Divine Ugochukwu and forward Kaleb Glenn when the Spartans face UConn in the Sweet 16 on Friday night. Head coach Tom Izzo confirmed on Monday that neither player will suit up for the matchup at Capital One Arena.
Ugochukwu had expressed optimism about returning for the second weekend of the tournament after his recovery from a broken foot progressed faster than anticipated.
The sophomore guard suffered the injury during Michigan State’s loss at Minnesota on Feb. 4 and underwent surgery shortly thereafter. He was initially ruled out for the remainder of the season. Speaking last week as the Spartans prepared for their Round of 32 matchup against Louisville, Ugochukwu indicated he was working toward a potential return.
“Physically, just a little soreness,” Ugochukwu said. “I’m trying to get back on the court as soon as possible. Hopefully, maybe at a Sweet 16 game, or trying to see if I could play the next week. Definitely just keep trying to make progress from there.”
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However, Izzo put those hopes to rest on Monday. According to the Michigan State head coach, Ugochukwu’s chances of playing this weekend are “none and less.” While Izzo has not completely shut the door on a potential Final Four return should the Spartans advance that far, the sophomore will not be available against the Huskies.
Ugochukwu appeared in 22 games for Michigan State this season before going down, starting in 12 of them. The Miami transfer averaged 5.1 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game while shooting an impressive 44.2% from 3-point range.
His absence has forced Izzo to rely more heavily on Denham Wojcik at the backup point guard position, though Wojcik himself is dealing with a torn labrum in his shoulder that will require surgery after the season.
Glenn, meanwhile, will not play in any NCAA Tournament games this year. The forward tore his patellar tendon before the season began and was ruled out for the year to redshirt, though he has recently resumed practicing with the team.
Izzo revealed that Denham Wojcik suffered a torn labrum in his shoulder that will require surgery after the season, but he will be able to play through his injury in the NCAA Tournament.
As for UConn, Jaylin Stewart is questionable with a knee injury. Silas Demary Jr. had been battling an ankle injury, but he returned against UCLA.
Though visibly limited, Demary played 22 minutes against UCLA and helped spark critical runs for UConn despite scoring only 2 points. His presence on the floor transformed the Huskies’ offense, and the team outscored the Bruins by 22 points during his time on the court.
The No. 2-seeded Huskies (31-5) and No. 3-seeded Spartans (27-7) will tip off at 9:45 p.m. ET on Friday at Capital One Arena. The winner will advance to face either Duke or St. John’s in the Elite Eight on Sunday.
Michigan State has reached the Sweet 16 in consecutive seasons under Izzo, while UConn is making its third appearance in the round in the last four years. The Huskies won back-to-back national championships in 2023 and 2024 before falling in the second round last year to eventual champion Florida.
Sweet 16 Schedule for Thursday and Friday
After several days without any NCAA Tournament games, the action resumes tonight at 7:10 p.m. ET. There are four games on tonight and four games on Friday, with all of them airing on CBS and TBS/truTV.
THURSDAY
- No. 11 Texas vs. No. 2 Purdue | 7:10 p.m. ET | CBS
- No. 9 Iowa vs. No. 4 Nebraska | 7:30 p.m. ET | TBS/truTV
- No. 4 Arkansas vs. No. 1 Arizona | 9:45 p.m. ET | CBS
- No. 3 Illinois vs. No. 2 Houston | 10:05 p.m. ET | TBS/truTV
FRIDAY
- No. 5 St. John’s vs. No. 1 Duke | 7:10 p.m. ET | CBS
- No. 4 Alabama vs. No. 1 Michigan | 7:35 p.m. ET | TBS/truTV
- No. 3 Michigan State vs. No. 2 UConn | 9:45 p.m. ET | CBS
- No. 6 Tennessee vs. No. 2 Iowa State | 10:10 p.m. ET | TBS/truTV
The NCAA Tournament averaged 9.8 million viewers through its first three days, the best start since CBS and TNT began showing all of the games together in 2011, according to Nielsen data. The primetime Thursday window hit 12.5 million, making it the most-watched first-round window in tournament history.
