Regardless of what metric you want to use, March Madness is set to be as impacted by injuries as much this season as any other in recent memory. Some Tier 1 teams will be operating without a key piece for the rest of the season, while others are dealing with fluid situations that you need to be aware of before advancing them too far in The Dance.
March Madness: Injuries to Track
MIkel Brown Jr. – Louisville
News broke on Wednesday morning that Louisville will be without Mikel Brown Jr. (18.2 PPG) for at least their first two games due to a back injury that he has been unable to shake.
Region: East
Seed: 6
PFSN Tournament Rank: 7
The team has been vague with the status of their star freshman for strategic purposes. This team has elite upside (as reflected in our customizable PFSN March Madness Power Rankings), and by making this a day-by-day situation, the committee was forced to consider the potential for his return.
We will see. He’s missed each of their past four games and was clearly hindered the last time he laced up. We know that back injuries can be fickle, and that opens up the door for a Sweet 16 return should the Cardinals survive this weekend without him, though nothing should be viewed as certain for a lottery pick who has his future in front of him.
Caleb Foster and Patrick Ngongba II – Duke
Duke has been close to inevitable for much of this season, but with Caleb Foster and Patrick Ngonba both battling foot injuries, they are dealing with adversity at the worst possible time.
Region: East
Seed: 1
PFSN Tournament Rank: 3
Foster’s injury is the more serious of the two, and it’s possible that he doesn’t suit up again this season. He’s expressed optimism about returning should the Blue Devils make it to Indianapolis, and that could be a huge addition, but counting on him to handle the same role after missing a month feels optimistic at best.
Cayden Boozer scored 16 points and played all 40 minutes in the ACC Championship win over Virginia, proving himself more than capable of handling increased usage. Whether he can sustain that level of effectiveness is TBD, but that pressure-packed data point was a good one to have for a tournament favorite.
Ngongba is expected back in short order, and with it being possible that Duke isn’t really pushed until the second week of this event, I’m approaching my bracket under the assumption that their center is close to full strength when needed.
Any foot injury for a big man is worrisome, but he’s been used in shorter spurts when fully healthy (22.4 minutes per game), and that is a role that can help mask any physical limitations.
National champion odds by conference, per https://t.co/cegyfz8ykZ:
Big Ten – 37%
Big 12 – 28%
ACC – 21%
SEC – 12%
Big East – 2.5%
WCC – 0.6%— Evan Miyakawa (@EvanMiya) March 18, 2026
Darryn Peterson – Kansas
Darryn Peterson entered this season as one of the storylines, and with 11 DNPs over the course of the regular season, his name was in the headlines for a variety of reasons.
Region: East
Seed: 4
PFSN Tournament Rank:35
At the moment, there are no real health issues for the future Top 5 pick. From illness to cramps, Peterson has had to work through a variety of ailments this season, which has led to questions about how motivated he is to compete at this level amid the pro game calling his name.
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Whether those questions are fair or not will be determined down the road, but if you’re looking at your bracket, know that Peterson carries some risk; nothing is currently ailing him.
Caleb Wilson – North Carolina
Caleb Wilson was working his way back for the Tar Heels, seemingly destined to make a March run and prove himself to be a part of the top tier when it comes to NBA prospects, but a broken hand suffered when dunking in practice has him sidelined.
Region: South
Seed: 6
PFSN Tournament Rank: 22
On the bright side, UNC sans Wilson isn’t a new experience. His near 20 points per game will be missed, but we are more than five weeks removed from his last appearance, and while this injury clearly hurts the prospects of this team, it’s not as if the Tar Heels don’t have access to talent.
Henri Veesaar is a difficult matchup and will need his star to shine bright if this team is going to make any noise. Should he thrive as the go-to option in this tournament, the slashing abilities of Jarin Stevenson could prove to be an X-Factor.
Braden Huff – Gonzaga
Braden Huff is a 6’10” junior who can do a bit of everything for the Zags, but a dislocated kneecap has had him on the pine for a while, and his status is a bit murky.
Region: West
Seed: 3
PFSN Tournament Rank:9
When initially injured, the estimated recovery timeline sat at 6-8 weeks, but we are beyond that, and his return to action still isn’t clear. The current speculation is that he is unlikely to play this weekend, but could return for the Sweet 16 should Gonzaga navigate Kennesaw State and the winner of BYU/Texas.
Our metrics like that to be the case, though they like Purdue to be on the other side of that Sweet 16 matchup, and that’s a tough draw regardless of Huff’s status.
Richie Saunders – BYU
Speaking of BYU, the roster construction was sound around AJ Dybantsa with Richie Saunders (18 PPG, 2.6 3PM) providing all sorts of gravity, but a Valentine’s Day ACL tear put to bed any dreams of him being a key cog in a deep tournament run.
Region: West
Seed: 6
PFSN Tournament Rank: 29
The Cougars were sliding a bit prior to the Saunders injury (6-9 after a 17-2 start), and while they have pieces that can, at times, mirror what the sharp-shooter provided, his absence over the course of 40 minutes is usually felt in a significant way.
As is the case with others on this list, his team is at least accustomed to playing without him, but the BYU faithful can’t help but wonder what could have been.
JT Toppin – Texas Tech
JT Toppin was one of the better players in the sport last season and entered 2025-26 with big-time expectations for a Red Raiders team that felt ready to take that next step. That dream remains, but a torn ACL on February 17 means that their best player will be relegated to cheerleading this time around.
Region: Midwest
Seed: 5
PFSN Tournament Rank: 13
Whether we see Toppin in a Texas Tech jersey again is a discussion for another time, but this team has shown fight without its star.
Sometimes.
They won at Iowa State, a resume builder that few can top, but the validity of that W was called into question after the Cyclones wiped the floor with them in the Big 12 tournament. Christian Anderson is the name you know from last year, and Donovan Atwell’s flawless left-handed jumper will pop when you turn on their game, but asking this team to beat two quality teams in three days feels like a stretch.
LJ Carson and Yaxel Lendenbor – Michigan
The Wolverines topped our power rankings in the middle of January and never looked back, though they too have some adversity to deal with. Star Yaxel Lendenborg was laboring at the end of the Big Ten tournament, and reliable reserve LJ Carson was lost in February with a torn ACL.
Region: Midwest
Seed: 1
PFSN Tournament Rank:1
The Lendenborg situation seems to be a lot to do about nothing, but don’t forget the nature of this event: two games in three days. Michigan is going to be far superior to whoever they draw in the early going of this tournament, but next week, when the competition stiffens and his usage spikes, this is a situation to at least monitor, understanding that a rugged Iowa State team could be waiting for them in the Elite Eight.
Aden Holloway – Alabama
Well, this is a situation. Aden Holloway was found with 2.1 pounds of marijuana on him, and that has him sitting in front of a Class C felony if convicted.
Region: Midwest
Seed: 4
PFSN Tournament Rank:14
You can speculate however you see fit, but right now he’s suspended as the legal system processes this event. It doesn’t seem overly likely that he’ll go from courtroom to back court in short order, a major knock for a team that relies on its explosive offense to make opponents uncomfortable.
This season, Holloway is pouring in 16.8 points a night and has actually improved his already strong shooting metrics (41.2% last season) to make him one of the most feared perimeter options in this event (43.8% this season).
The Tide have only played four games without the guard this season, and it’ll be interesting to see if Nate Oats makes any tweaks to the run-and-gun style. Alabama faces an interesting team in Hofstra in Round 1 and would get the winner of Texas Tech/Akron should they advance to the weekend.
