Iowa State Basketball Survives Despite Brutal Injury to Joshua Jefferson

The Iowa State Cyclones were able to get their first win of the NCAA tournament in convincing fashion against the Tennessee State Tigers, but the long-term outlook of the program is uncertain.

Coming into March Madness, the Cyclones were feeling good after an excellent showing in the Big 12 tournament. Even though they were unable to defeat the Arizona Wildcats, they played a fantastic game right down to the wire. The Wildcats ultimately were able to secure the win with a buzzer-beater, but it was the type of performance that indicated that they can be a true contender.

In their matchup against the Tigers, Iowa State was able to absolutely blitz them in the first half and took a nice lead into the second half. Quick starts have been key for the Cyclones this year, and they certainly accomplished that against Tennessee State.

Iowa State was able to take a 55-29 lead into the half, but they did see a key player go down with an injury. Early on, star forward Joshua Jefferson suffered what appeared to be a brutal ankle injury and didn’t return to the game.

Can Cyclones Thrive Without Jefferson?

Iowa State Cyclones forward Joshua Jefferson being helped off the court — Iowa State Cyclones forward Joshua Jefferson | Jeff Le-Imagn Images

For Iowa State, the injury to Jefferson took the air right out of the building in this game. Despite them being able to handle the Tigers easily, this is an injury that could cripple their outlook going forward.

While losing Jefferson in this game was a significant blow, the team did see some players step up in his absence. In the starting lineup, Killyan Toure thrived offensively and played one of his best games of the season on that end of the court. Furthermore, Nate Heise came off the bench and contributed offensively as well.

It was important to see some role players step up and help in the scoring department for the Cyclones, but they received a strong game from sharpshooter Milan Momcilovic. The talented forward was arguably the best shooter in the country this season, and he looked like it on Friday.

While it might have been an easy game against the Tigers, things will get tougher going forward. Next up for the Cyclones will be a matchup against the Kentucky Wildcats, who are coming off a thrilling win against the Santa Clara Broncos.

The health of Jefferson is going to be something important to monitor going forward, but his injury certainly didn’t look good. While Iowa State performed well without him, sustaining that will be tough.