The Iowa State Cyclones are looking to advance to the Elite Eight, if they can get past one of this year’s underdogs in the Big Dance: the No. 6 seed Tennessee Volunteers.
They defeated a tough Kentucky Wildcats team 82-63 in the second round to reach the Sweet 16 game. Although Iowa State advanced past Tennessee State in the opening round with a 34-point win, they lost their star Joshua Jefferson in that first game to an ankle sprain in the victory.
Jefferson, a 6-foot-9 senior, has been a consistent scorer and double-double threat due to his points and rebounding numbers. He averages 16.4 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 4.8 assists for his squad, making him a significant part of the Iowa State offense.
Since he had been with the team during their NCAA Tournament practices, there had been hopes that the Cyclones would have their big man back for their big clash against Tennessee on Friday night.
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On Friday evening, ahead of the game’s tip-off, Pete Thamel shared the latest update for Jefferson, indicating he won’t be able to play due to his low ankle sprain from the first-round game. He is the team’s second-leading scorer and second-leading rebounder.
It’s still unclear if he might get to return should the Cyclones advance to the next round after Friday night’s game against Tennessee.
“They’re doing a good job. They’re not trying to pressure me at all, but they’re also trying to say, ‘Hey, it’d be nice to have you back.’ They’ve all been amazing. Love them all to death,” he told reporters recently of his supportive teammates amid his injury situation.
Unfortunately, that’s another huge blow to the Cyclones offense, but they’ve shown with their previous win that they are still capable of winning games without Jefferson in the lineup. Against Tennessee, Tamin Lipsey led the team with 26 points and 10 assists, while Milan Momcilovic had 20 points and five rebounds.
The Volunteers reached this stage of the Big Dance by defeating Miami Ohio by 22 in the first round, and then upsetting No. 3 seed Virginia 79-72 in the second round. Ja’Kobi Gillespie led the Volunteers in that game with 21 points, hitting 6-of-14 field goals, including 3-of-4 three-pointers.
Iowa State was a favorite to win against Tennessee by 3.5-points heading into Friday night’s matchup in Chicago, Illinois, with the winner getting to face either Alabama or the region’s No. 1 seed, the Michigan Wolverines.
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