Key Injuries to Remember When Filling Out Your Men’s March Madness Bracket

The men’s NCAA tournament is upon us with Selection Sunday’s bracket reveal. As diehards and casuals alike prepare to fill out their brackets, it’s important to keep in mind key injuries to players on teams in the field this March.

Without further ado, here’s a look at everything you need to know about the health of some top players in the NCAA tournament field.

Out for NCAA tournament

Caleb Wilson, North Carolina

North Carolina freshman standout Caleb Wilson fractured his left hand in early February—an injury that was supposed to sideline the 6' 10" forward for only a few weeks. As he was ramping up his on-court activity to prepare for a return to the lineup, he expressed discomfort in his right thumb after dunking the ball during a non-contact drill in practice.

An X-ray revealed a fracture, with the injury requiring season-ending surgery. The Tar Heels’ expectations entering March are drastically different now that Wilson will not be a part of the proceedings. It’s still a good team without Wilson, but it’s a great team when he’s healthy.

Richie Saunders, BYU

BYU star wing Richie Saunders tore his ACL less than a minute into an overtime win over Colorado on Feb. 14. It took the Cougars some time to adjust to the absence of the sharpshooting senior, as the program lost four of its next five games following his injury. But BYU found something late in the regular season in Saunders’s absence, upsetting No. 10 Texas Tech in the regular-season finale and subsequently winning two games in the Big 12 tournament before falling to No. 5 Houston in the Big 12 quarterfinal.

It’s hard to replace someone as good as Saunders, who averaged 18.0 points per game and made nearly 38% of his three-point attempts.

JT Toppin, Texas Tech

There’s no way around it—the season-ending injury to All-American JT Toppin is one that is near-impossible to overcome for Texas Tech. The Red Raiders have performed admirably since Toppin was lost for the season to a torn ACL on Feb. 17, but it’s hard to envision the program as a true Final Four threat without his presence in the lineup.

Toppin was one of college basketball’s best players prior to his injury, averaging 21.8 points and 10.8 rebounds on 54.8% shooting.

L.J. Cason, Michigan

L.J. Cason was a key member of Michigan’s rotation, providing strong guard play off the bench prior to tearing his ACL in a late-February win over Illinois. Cason averaged 8.4 points per game in 18.6 minutes per contest, and is expected to redshirt next season as he recovers from the injury. His injury is a blow to Michigan’s depth, but the Wolverines still have plenty of firepower to win a national championship.

Carter Welling, Clemson

The junior forward tore his right ACL in the second-round victory over Wake Forest in the ACC tournament, and is out for the season. Carter Welling’s injury is a brutal blow to the Tigers, who were one of the conference’s pleasant surprises this season. The 6' 11" Welling averaged 10.2 points and 5.4 rebounds per game, and will be missed in the program’s upcoming NCAA tournament run.

Matt Hodge, Villanova

The Wildcats starting forward tore his right ACL in a 89–57 loss to St. John’s earlier this month, ending his season. The Wildcats’ return to the NCAA tournament under first-year coach Kevin Willard came with Matt Hodge as a key member of the starting lineup. In 29 games, the freshman averaged 9.2 points per game on 45.2% shooting from the floor, which included a 36.8% mark from three.

Questionable for NCAA tournament

Caleb Foster, Duke

Duke veteran guard Caleb Foster fractured his foot in the regular-season finale against North Carolina, and underwent surgery to address the injury. While Blue Devils coach Jon Scheyer refused to rule Foster out for the season, it’s likely he will not return unless Duke makes a deep run.

The junior is averaging 8.5 points per game, 3.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists on 44.2% shooting, but his impact as a stellar perimeter defender is the real loss for the Blue Devils.

Patrick Ngongba II, Duke

Patrick Ngongba II is the other member of the Blue Devils’ starting lineup who missed the end of the regular season and the ACC tournament due to foot soreness. While his injury is not as serious as Foster’s, his status is up in the air heading into the NCAA tournament. Scheyer is hoping that Ngongba can suit up to provide another layer to Duke’s offense as a rim-running lob threat to go along with his ability as a stout interior defender.

Braden Huff, Gonzaga

The breakout Bulldogs forward suffered a left knee injury in a January practice that left him with a four-to-eight-week timeline to return to the floor. Unfortunately for the junior, he has yet to return to the lineup, although coach Mark Few told reporters after the WCC title that Braden Huff has begun jogging and completing light on-court work.

Huff is unlikely to play in Gonzaga’s first two NCAA tournament games, but a return to the lineup in the second weekend (or beyond) cannot be discounted. Huff’s return would be a boost to the Bulldogs, as he was averaging 17.8 points and 5.6 rebounds prior to the injury.

Mikel Brown Jr., Louisville

The Cardinals star freshman did not play in the ACC tournament as he continues to deal with a sore back. Brown has been in and out of the lineup all season, but when healthy, his ceiling offensively takes Louisville to another level. He said that he hopes to return for the NCAA tournament, and his addition would be welcomed by the Cardinals. He is averaging 18.2 points and 4.7 assists on 41.0% shooting from the floor in 21 games this season.

Jayden Quaintance, Kentucky

Jayden Quaintance, a sophomore, has played in just four games for Kentucky this season due to swelling and soreness in his surgically repaired knee. The Wildcats have not yet ruled him out for the season, leaving the door ajar for a potential return to the NCAA tournament. Any minutes that he is able to give would be a surprise at this point in the proceedings, but he would raise Kentucky’s defensive ceiling considerably if he was anywhere near 100%.

Karter Knox, Arkansas

Karter Knox underwent a successful surgical procedure in mid-February to address a left meniscus tear, which has sidelined him indefinitely. Knox has not played since his surgery, but there is an outside chance he could play at some point in the NCAA tournament. In 22 games this season, he averaged 8.1 points and 4.5 rebounds for the Razorbacks.

Will likely play in NCAA tournament, but worth monitoring

Donovan Dent, UCLA

The UCLA point guard had been on a tear entering the Big Ten tournament semifinal matchup against Purdue. Donovan Dent had notched 77 assists to just six turnovers in his last seven games—good for a ridiculous 12.8 assist-to-turnover ratio. It’s no coincidence that the Bruins were 6–1 in that stretch, as the program ascended off the tournament bubble and safely into the field.

Dent played just nine minutes in the Big Ten semifinal against the Boilermakers before leaving the game with discomfort in his calf. It’s likely that Mick Cronin & Co. were being cautious with the star point guard, who should return in the NCAA tournament.

Tyler Bilodeau, UCLA

Tyler Bilodeau avoided catastrophe after leaving the Big Ten quarterfinal victory over Michigan State with a knee injury. What looked like a potential ACL injury ended up just being a knee strain for Bilodeau, who is expected to return in the NCAA tournament, according to a school spokesperson. Bilodeau is averaging 17.6 points per game to go along with 5.6 rebounds this season for the Bruins.

Nolan Winter, Wisconsin

Nolan Winter sprained his ankle in the final week of the regular season against Maryland, and spent the Big Ten tournament on the bench as he rested the ankle in an effort to be ready for the NCAA tournament. The Badgers big man went through a workout before Saturday’s Big Ten semifinal loss to Michigan, but was ultimately unable to go. After the loss, he expressed optimism about a return to the lineup when the NCAA tournament begins.

“I’m feeling good,” Winter told reporters on Saturday. “I’ll be ready to go next week. Obviously, I wanted to be out there this weekend with my boys. Seemed like a lot of fun out there. Fans brought the juice.”

Wisconsin is one of the hottest teams in college basketball entering the NCAA tournament, and should be a popular sleeper pick to make a deep run. Winter’s return to the lineup will certainly help.

Christian Anderson, Texas Tech

Christian Anderson left the second half of his team’s Big 12 quarterfinal loss to Iowa State after slipping on the much-maligned glass floor and pulling a muscle in his groin. Anderson said immediately after the loss to the Cyclones that he was O.K. and the program confirmed his availability for the NCAA tournament on Saturday night. Whether or not Anderson is 100% when he suits up remains to be seen however, so his play will be one to monitor.

Anderson is averaging 18.9 points and 7.6 assists on 48% shooting this season for Texas Tech.

Jaylin Stewart, UConn

Stewart’s sore knee cost him the final three games of the Huskies’ regular season, and he did not play in the Big East tournament as he continued to rest the injury. However, Huskies coach Dan Hurley said he expects to have Stewart back for the NCAA tournament, where the program is once again a serious contender to cut down the nets for a third national title in four years.

Stewart has been one of the first players off the bench for the Huskies when healthy, and his addition to the rotation would strengthen UConn’s depth.