Kentucky vs. Iowa State is set as Joshua Jefferson injury is the big storyline to follow
All-American forward Joshua Jefferson’s ankle injury leaves his status in question vs. Kentucky.
Mar 20, 2026; St. Louis, MO, USA; Iowa State Cyclones forward Joshua Jefferson (5) shoots a layup against Tennessee State Tigers forward Jalen Pitre (0) during the first half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images It’s official: No.
7 Kentucky Basketball will face No. 2 Iowa State in the Round of 32 on Sunday after surviving an overtime thriller against Santa Clara, while the Cyclones cruised past Tennessee State 104-78 in the first round. While the win was a big one for Iowa State, they did receive some bad news with All-American forward Joshua Jefferson.
During the game, Jefferson, a 6-foot-9 senior from Las Vegas, injured his left ankle in the opening minutes. The 240-pound forward had to be helped off the court and later returned on crutches, wearing a boot on his left ankle. Iowa State coach T.
J. Otzelberger said X-rays on Jefferson were negative, confirming he has a sprained ankle, but his status for Sunday’s game against Kentucky is still unknown. Jefferson has averaged 16.