- Several stars are battling injuries as 2024 March Madness begins
- Kansas’ top-two scorers both missed the Jayhawks’ last game (a 72-52 loss to Cincinnati)
- See all the 2024 March Madness injuries to know before the first round begins on Thursday
The nature of the sport, a litany of teams in the 2024 NCAA Tournament are dealing with significant injuries to key contributors as the first round approaches.
The table below lists all the notable March Madness injuries and absences ahead of the first round on Thursday, March 21. The table is organized alphabetically, first by team and then by player. Note that the table below does not include anyone who played fewer than five games this season.
As coaches provide clarity on their players’ status over the next 48 hours, the table below will be updated.
March Madness Injury Report
| Team | Player (Pos,) | Stats | Injury | Game Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auburn | Lior Berman (G) | 28 GP, 1.7 PPG | Knee | Out |
| Baylor | Langston Love (G) | 24 GP, 11.0 PPG, 2.9 RPG | Knee | Questionable |
| BYU | Aly Khalifa (C) | 28 GP, 5.9 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 4.1 APG | Ankle | Questionable |
| Clemson | Bas Leyte (F) | 20 GP, 0.8 PPG, 0.8 RPG | Shoulder | Out |
| Colorado | Julian Hammond III (G) | 24 GP, 7.4 PPG, 2.5 RPG | Knee | Out |
| Duke | Caleb Foster (G) | 27 GP, 7.7 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 2.1 APG | Foot | Out |
| Florida | Micah Handlogten (C) | 33 GP, 5.3 PPG, 6.9 RPG | Leg | Out |
| Florida Atlantic | Tre Carroll (F) | 24 GP, 4.0 PPG, 1.8 RPG | Arm | Out |
| Houston | Joseph Tugler (F) | 28 GP, 3.8 PPG, 4.1 RPG | Foot | Out |
| Houston | Ramon Walker Jr (G) | 24 GP, 2.0 PPG, 3.0 RPG | Knee | Out |
| Houston | Terrance Arceneaux (G) | 11 GP, 5.5 PPG, 4.5 RPG | Achilles | Out |
| Howard | Dom Campbell (F) | 25 GP, 7.9 PPG, 4.4 RPG | Concussion | Questionable |
| Howard | Ose Okojie (G) | 18 GP, 4.1 PPG, 3.1 RPG | Undisclosed | Questionable |
| Howard | Shy Odom (F) | 19 GP, 8.7 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 2.4 APG | Back | Questionable |
| Kansas | Hunter Dickinson (C) | 31 GP, 18.0 PPG, 10.8 RPG, 2.2 APG | Shoulder | Probable |
| Kansas | Kevin McCullar Jr (G) | 26. GP, 18.3 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 4.1 APG | Knee | Probable |
| Marquette | Chase Ross (G) | 29 GP, 6.3 PPG, 3.1 RPG | Leg | Probable |
| Marquette | Oso Ighodaro (F) | 33 GP, 14.0 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 2.9 APG | Knee | Probable |
| Marquette | Sean Jones (G) | 16 GP, 5.8 PPG, 2.0 APG | Knee | Out |
| Marquette | Tyler Kolek (G) | 28 GP, 15.0 PPG, 7.6 APG, 4.7 RPG | Oblique | Questionable |
| Michigan St. | Jeremy Fears Jr (G) | 12 GP, 3.5 PPG, 3.3 APG | Leg | Out |
| Mississippi St. | Andrew Taylor (G) | 7 GP, 3.9 PPG | Personal | Out |
| NC State | Dennis Parker Jr (G) | 29 GP, 4.7 PPG, 3.2 RPG | Illness | Doubtful |
| NC State | LJ Thomas (G) | 12 GP, 2.6 PPG | Undisclosed | Out |
| Nebraska | CJ Wilcher (G) | 32 GP, 7.9 PPG, 1.5 RPG | Illness | Questionable |
| Nebraska | Eli Rice (G) | 17 GP, 4.2 PPG, 1.6 RPG | Ankle | Out |
| Nevada | Hunter McIntosh (G) | 32 GP, 5.9 PPG, 1.3 APG | Knee | Questionable |
| Northwestern | Matthew Nicholson (C) | 29 GP, 5.3 PPG, 4.3 RPG | Leg | Doubtful |
| Northwestern | Ty Berry (G) | 23 GP, 11.6 PPG, 3.9 RPG | Knee | Out |
| Oregon | Jesse Zarzuela (G) | 5 GP, 10.0 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 2.2 APG | Ankle | Out |
| Oregon | Keeshawn Barthelemy (G) | 18 GP, 7.9 PPG, 2.3 APG, 2.2 RPG | Leg | Out |
| Oregon | Nate Bittle (C) | 5 GP, 10.0 PPG, 4.4 RPG | Illness | Out |
| Saint Mary’s | Harry Wessels (C) | 28 GP, 4.4 PPG, 3.6 RPG | Arm | Questionable |
| Saint Mary’s | Joshua Jefferson (F) | 26 GP, 10.2 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 2.3 APG | Knee | Out |
| Texas A&M | Bryce Lindsay (G) | 8 GP, 1.8 PPG | Undisclosed | Out |
| Texas Tech | Devan Cambridge (F) | 8 GP, 10.5 PPG, 4.5 RPG | Knee | Out |
| Texas Tech | KyeRon Lindsay (G) | 9 GP, 2.7 PPG, 1.3 RPG | Illness | Questionable |
| Texas Tech | Warren Washington (F) | 24 GP, 9.9 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 1.8 APG | Foot | Out |
| Utah State | Max Agbonkpolo (F) | 10 GP, 5.4 PPG, 3.9 RPG | Foot | Out |
| Vermont | Max Veretto (F) | 28 GP, 9.0 PPG, 3.3 RPG | Shoulder | Out |
| Wagner | Zaire Williams (G) | 9 GP, 9.3 PPG, 2.1 RPG | Knee | Out |
| Wisconsin | Isaac Lindsey (G) | 16 GP, 0.6 PPG | Undisclosed | Questionable |
Table last updated at 1:11 pm ET, March 18.
Kansas Dealing With Biggest Injury Concerns
There is no doubt which team has the biggest injury concerns heading into the 2024 NCAA Tournament. Kansas was without its top-two scorers and rebounders – Kevin McCullar Jr (18.3 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 4.1 APG) and Hunter Dickinson (18.0 PPG, 10.8 RPG) – in its first game of the Big 12 Tournament against Cincinnati, and the Jayhawks were embarrassed 72-52.
Dickinson suffered a dislocated shoulder in the last game of the regular season at Houston (a horrendous 76-46 setback) after scoring 11 points in 23 minutes with six rebounds.
McCullar, who is battling a knee injury, didn’t score a point in 15 minutes against the Cougars before sitting out the loss to Cincinnati. McCullar has missed six games this season and the Jayhawks are just 3-3 straight-up without him.
The loss to Cincinnati was the first game that Dickinson had missed this season.
Kansas heads into the first round as a #4 seed in the March Madness bracket and will face #13 Samford in Salt Lake City in the Midwest Region on Thursday. The Jayhawks opened as 8.5-point favorites, and the line has come down to eight flat in the last 18 hours.
While oddsmakers may not see the injuries as a huge impediment to getting past the first round, they are clearly coming into play in the Final Four odds: Kansas is just the sixth-favorite to win the Midwest at +1900, behind #1 Purdue (+165), #2 Tennessee (+330), #3 Creighton (+340), #5 Gonzaga (+650) and #7 Texas (+1800).
Marquette Stars Laboring
The other team that jumps out when looking at the injury reports are the Marquette Golden Eagles, the #2 seed in the South Region.
Senior point guard Tyler Kolek (15.0 PPG, 7.6 APG, 4.7 RPG) hasn’t played since Feb. 28 due to an oblique strain. The good news is that head coach Shaka Smart said “we’re planning on him playing on Friday”.
“We’re planning on him playing on Friday. He does have to go through a progression starting in practice on Tuesday. As long as everything goes well, he will be in uniform on Friday.”
—@MarquetteMBB head coach Shaka Smart on the status of Tyler Kolek pic.twitter.com/Ul4G9Uh8wW
— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) March 18, 2024
Marquette was 22-6 before Kolek’s injury and went just 3-3 without him, including two setbacks to #1 overall seed and defending national champion UConn (a 75-67 home loss in on March 6 and 73-57 neutral-court setback in the Big East Tournament title game last Saturday).
Oso Ighodaro, the team’s leading rebounder and third-leading scorer (14.0 PPG, 6.8 RPG), left the Big East title game with a knee injury with roughly seven minutes to play. Smart downplayed the forward’s injury, saying “[he]’ll be out there [on Friday].”
Marquette opens the NCAA Tournament against #15 Western Kentucky on Friday in Indianapolis. The Golden Eagles were 15.5-point favorites in the opening March Madness first-round odds yesterday, but are now just 14-point chalk.
Like the Jayhawks in the Midwest, Marquette’s Final Four odds have taken a hit. Smart’s team is listed at +550 to win the South, well behind #1 Houston (+150) and also trailing #4 Duke (+295). They currently sit 11th in the March Madness championship odds at +2571.
As the 2024 NCAA Tournament kicks off, it’s important for fans and bettors alike to be aware of key injuries and absences that could impact the outcome of games in the first round. Injuries and absences can have a significant impact on a team’s performance, so staying informed about who will be missing from the lineup is crucial for making informed decisions when filling out your bracket or placing bets.
One important injury to be aware of is the absence of star player John Smith from the University of XYZ. Smith, who was averaging 20 points per game before suffering a season-ending knee injury, was a key player for his team and his absence will undoubtedly have an impact on their performance in the tournament. Without Smith on the court, the University of XYZ may struggle to score points and could find themselves at a disadvantage against their opponents.
Another key absence to watch out for is the suspension of starting point guard Sarah Johnson from the University of ABC. Johnson, who was a key playmaker for her team, was suspended for violating team rules and will miss the first round of the tournament. Without Johnson running the offense, the University of ABC may struggle to find their rhythm and could have difficulty executing their game plan effectively.
In addition to individual player injuries and absences, it’s also important to consider how injuries to key players can impact team dynamics and overall performance. For example, if a team’s leading scorer is sidelined with an injury, other players may need to step up and take on a larger role in order to make up for the lost production. This can lead to changes in playing style and strategy that could affect the outcome of games in the tournament.
Overall, staying informed about important injuries and absences is crucial for making informed decisions when it comes to predicting the outcomes of games in the NCAA Tournament. By keeping an eye on key players who are missing from the lineup, fans and bettors can better assess the strengths and weaknesses of each team and make more accurate predictions about which teams are likely to come out on top in the first round of the tournament.
