Iowa State had just set a program record for points in an NCAA Tournament game. The scoreboard read 108-74 over Tennessee State, the Cyclones were through to the second round, and the locker room should have felt like a celebration. Instead, the moment was defined by a walking boot and a pair of crutches.
Joshua Jefferson, Iowa State’s second-leading scorer and one of the more complete forwards in the country, sprained his left ankle less than two minutes into the first-round game Friday at Enterprise Center in St. Louis. He did not return. X-rays taken at the arena came back negative, but his availability for Sunday’s second-round matchup against seventh-seeded Kentucky remains uncertain.
Jefferson hurt himself on a routine play early in the first half
Jefferson was driving toward the basket for a layup when he landed awkwardly. He later described the moment as his toes catching on the floor while his momentum continued forward, causing his ankle to give out. He was helped off the court by Iowa State’s training staff and could not put weight on his left foot as he made his way to the locker room.
At halftime, an announcement confirmed he would not return. Jefferson came back to the bench at the start of the second half wearing a boot on his left foot and keeping his leg elevated on a chair. He watched the rest of the blowout from the sideline on crutches.
Coach T.J. Otzelberger said the program would spend the next two days evaluating Jefferson’s condition and assessing whether he could suit up against Kentucky. The Cyclones are aiming for the Sweet 16 for the third time in five seasons.
Iowa State’s depth carried the Cyclones through Jefferson’s absence
The game itself was never close. Iowa State built a 26-point lead by halftime and stretched the margin to 38 at one point in the second half. The final score of 108-74 set a record for the most points the program has ever scored in a tournament game.
Freshman guard Killyan Toure led all scorers with 25 points. Senior guard Nate Heise came off the bench to add 22 points, converting four of five attempts from three-point range and contributing four rebounds. Junior forward Milan Momcilovic, the team’s leading scorer during the regular season at 17.1 points per game, added 17 on 6-of-11 shooting while others carried a heavier load.
Guard Dominick Nelson, a transfer from Utah Valley who had been out of the rotation for several months, saw 19 minutes of action and figures to benefit from increased playing time moving forward. Guard Jamarion Batemon was aggressive off the bench, attempting 10 shots including seven from three-point range.
Jefferson’s absence would be significant against Kentucky
Jefferson entered the tournament averaging 16.9 points, 7.6 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 1.7 steals per game while shooting 47% from the field. He recorded 10 double-doubles this season and became the only player in Iowa State history to log multiple triple-doubles in a single year, doing so twice in an 18-day stretch in January. He is a second-team All-American as selected by the Associated Press.
Replacing that kind of production is not something one player can do. Heise’s rebounding and perimeter shooting, Nelson’s ability to attack the basket off the dribble, and Batemon’s scoring aggression off the bench each represent part of the answer. Momcilovic, who knows Jefferson’s value as well as anyone on the roster, noted that even limited contributions from the injured forward would help against a physical Kentucky frontcourt.
Jefferson was measured about his own expectations, saying that playing at half capacity would not serve the team and that he would need to demonstrate he could move freely before taking the floor. He planned to use compression and mobility exercises over the next 48 hours to give himself the best chance of being available Sunday.
Iowa State tips off against Kentucky later this weekend, with a berth in the Sweet 16 on the line.
