The Iowa State Cyclones are headed to the Sweet 16 after two impressive victories to begin the NCAA Tournament. They won their first-round matchup over No. 15 seed Tennessee State 108-74 and then defeated Kentucky in the Round of 32 by a score of 82-63. Perhaps most impressive is that Iowa State hasn’t been at full strength, as they lost All-American Joshua Jefferson to an ankle injury in the first half of their opening game.
Jefferson has not played since the injury occurred, and his status for their Sweet 16 game is up in the air. Jefferson is the best player on the Cyclones, and while they were able to survive against lesser teams, there’s no question that this team is scarier with their star in the lineup.
Latest on Joshua Jefferson’s Status for the Sweet 16
Head coach T.J. Otzelberger recently stated that Jefferson will ultimately decide whether he can play on Friday night.
“It’s really Joshua’s decision,” Otzelberger said. “We’re going to support him and love him and have his back in whatever he decides to do.”
Jefferson is hoping that he can tough out the injury: “If I just have a little bit of pain, I think I can roll with that. But just trying to work up to that right now.”
Previously, Otzelberger praised Jefferson for doing everything possible to get healthy.
“He’s working tirelessly every day,” Otzelberger said. “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… and he’s doing all that he can do. There are no percentages, predictions, unlikely, or likely.”
“We’ll see each day there is pretty significant progress, but we’ll see where we’re at game time Friday night. 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. It’s not perfect, but it is progress.”
Jefferson is a game-time decision and it all depends how he feels before tip-off. He initially sprained his left ankle during Iowa State’s first-round win over Tennessee State on March 20. The injury caused him to miss his first game since joining the Cyclones for the 2024-25 season.
Jefferson is averaging 16.4 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 4.8 assists this season. He is one of only three Iowa State players who play over 30 minutes per game. He is a Swiss Army knife for this team, filling many different roles and contributing across the stat sheet.
MARCH MADNESS: Fill In Your Bracket Now!
With Jefferson out, Iowa State had other players step up in his absence. They have not missed a beat thanks to the play of point guard Tamin Lipsey, who dominated against Kentucky. He scored 26 points in the game and added 10 assists and 5 steals.
Nate Heise stepped into the starting role for Jefferson and scored 12 points across 36 minutes. This team still has plenty of talent available, even without its best player.
The Cyclones will take on Tennessee in the Sweet 16, with the winner advancing to the Elite Eight to face the winner of Michigan vs. Alabama. Fortunately for Iowa State, they play in the final game of the Sweet 16 tonight at 10:10 p.m. ET, so Jefferson will get some extra time to determine whether he’s healthy enough to go.
