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- Several teams suffered key injuries in the first weekend of March Madness
- Is Joshua Jefferson going to play for Iowa State against Tennesse?
- See the full list of March Madness injuries and absences for the 2026 Sweet 16
The NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 is just around the corner (March 26 and 27) and several teams have big injury questions heading into the second weekend.
The table below summarizes all of the relevant injuries, ordered alphabetically by team and then by player. Under the table, find my commentary on the biggest Sweet 16 injuries.
March Madness Sweet 16 Injuries (2026)
The players who have been removed from the injury list since the NCAA Tournament started are: UConn’s Silas Demary, Duke’s Patrick Ngongba II, and St John’s Kelvin Odih.
Table last updated at 1:57 pm ET, March 24th. Claim theScore Bet promo code for the Sweet 16.
Is Joshua Jefferson Playing vs Tennessee?
The biggest injury question is undoubtedly Iowa State’s Joshua Jefferson, who finished the regular season ranked second in KenPom’s national player of the year rankings. Jefferson suffered an ankle injury in Iowa State’s first-round rout of #15 Tennessee State. He missed the second round against #7 Kentucky but appears on track to play in the Sweet 16.
Jefferson has maximum opportunity to rest: Iowa State/Tennessee is the final Sweet 16 game, tipping off at 10:10 pm ET on Friday at the United Center in Chicago.
The opening Iowa State/Tennessee odds listed the Cyclones as 4.5-point ATS favorites and -218 on the moneyline. Despite the relatively positive outlook, ISU remains at -4.5 against the spread and has come down to -192 on the moneyline.
ISU bettors can find the best price at prediction site Kalshi, where ISU to win is trading at 64¢ (equal to -178 moneyline odds). The best Tennessee moneyline price is +165 at BetMGM.
Is CJ Cox Going to Play vs Texas?
The second-biggest injury of the first weekend was Purdue sharpshooter CJ Cox (8.5 PPG, 38.4 3P%), who went down with a knee injury against #7 Miami. He didn’t return and is listed as a game-time decision.
Cox is an electric 6-of-8 from beyond the arc in the NCAA Tournament. He has 61 threes on the season, tied with Braden Smith for second-most on the team behind Fletcher Loyer (106 total, 43.3 3P%).
Unfortunately for Cox, Purdue/Texas is the first game of the Sweet 16 slate, set to tip at 7:10 pm ET at the SAP Center at San Jose.
The opening Texas/Purdue odds listed the Boilermakers as a 6.5-point ATS favorite and -260 on the moneyline. They’re currently priced at -320 on the moneyline but still 6.5 ATS.
Is Caleb Foster Playing vs St John’s?
The East #1 Duke Blue Devils got a huge boost in the second round with the return of center Patrick Ngongba II, a projected lottery pick in the 2026 NBA draft odds. They’re still down point guard Caleb Foster, however.
Ahead of the tournament, Foster wasn’t expected back until at least the Final Four. It doesn’t appear that has changed. Head coach Jon Scheyer said he has an “outside chance”.
Bookmark SBD’s college basketball odds page to see the latest lines for every Sweet 16 game.
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