Joshua Jefferson's Status Ahead of Tennessee Basketball vs. Iowa State

Will Joshua Jefferson play against the Tennessee Volunteers on Friday night?

Mar 20, 2026; St. Louis, MO, USA; Iowa State Cyclones forward Joshua Jefferson (5) is helped off of the court after suffering an apparent injury to his left leg against Tennessee State Tigers 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

The Tennessee Volunteers are set for a massive game against the Iowa State Cyclones, as this is a game that will be viewed as one of the toughest contests when it comes to the physical nature of both teams inside the Sweet 16. This matchup will be between the No. 6 seed Volunteers, who are fresh off two huge victories, and the No. 2 seed Cyclones, who can say the same exact thing.

The Vols stood tall against the Miami OH Redhawks in their first game of the tournament. This was a blowout win, which shifted them forward towards the Round of 32, where they would play against the Virginia Cavaliers. This game was a dog fight, but in the end, the Tennessee Volunteers and Ja'Kobi Gillespie would do enough to walk away victorious.

As for the Cyclones, they won their very first matchup against the Tennessee State Tigers, and then would move forward to play a tough Kentucky Wildcats team, who have defeated the Vols in a comeback effort twice this season. The Cyclones would start very slowly in this game, but would later turn up the heat to win via a blowout.

That game was played without the Cyclones' biggest star, as the Cyclones played without Joshua Jefferson. Jefferson is a 6'9 forward who has been one of the better all-around players on the roster. Despite leading the team in rebounds (7.4), the talented forward remains one of the better scorers in the tournament at his size. He is averaging the second-most points on the team with 16.4, as well as being one of the assist leaders with a total of 4.8.

Latest on Joahua Jefferson

Mar 26, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Iowa State Cyclones forward Joshua Jefferson (5) warms up during a practice session ahead of the midwest regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

He has been one that many are monitoring, as the latest update on the talented player is that he would be a game-time decision. As of Friday morning, there are no updates on whether the star will or will not play. It seems that he is progressing towards playing more than he was, as he attended practice on Thursday, but he is still seeking the opportunity to compete in a very physical game against the Vols. This decision will likely be made right before tip-off.

TJ Otzelberger provided updates on this situation, as he detailed the progress of his ankle injury.

"He’s working tirelessly every day,” Otzelberger said. “Countless sessions in the training room, everything he can. His ankle is getting better every single day. It’s going to take right up to game time, we’re going to give it every possible chance to do that, and he’s doing everything that he can do."