A day ahead of Iowa State basketball and Tennessee squaring off in the Sweet 16 of the 2026 NCAA Tournament, Cyclones head coach TJ Otzelberger met with the media. Atop the list of questions was the status of his injured star forward, Joshua Jefferson.
Jefferson suffered an ankle injury in the Round of 64 and was unable to play in the Round of 32 blowout of Kentucky. He received an MRI on Monday and was later designated as a game-time decision. According to Otzelberger, that status remains.
“Yeah, there’s nothing new at this point,” Otzelberger said. “We’re going to give him every opportunity up until the game to do everything he can. He’s a fierce competitor. Our medical staff has been amazing, and he’s continued to work diligently. But at this point, it would be premature to make any type of determination until we get closer to tip.”
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Jefferson, an AP Second-Team All-American, is averaging 16.4 points per game on 47.1% shooting from the field and 34.5% on 3-pointers. He is also contributing 7.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists per contest.
At the end of the day, Otzelberger said it’ll be Jefferson’s decision if he thinks he can play or not. He knows he wants to be out there, but it comes down to whether the player is comfortable given the information provided.
“It’s ultimately Joshua’s decision,” Otzelberger said. “We love him. We support him. We’re going to give him all the information and resources. But it ultimately comes down to he’s a fierce competitor. He’s a warrior. He’ll do anything to be out there for his teammates. I know if that’s a possibility that he will take advantage of it.
“How we prepare or plan if he’s not to be able to play, honestly, I think the Kentucky game speaks for itself. I think our guys have a very connected mentality and mindset. They’re very unified offensively and defensively. They believe in one another. They started a process in June where they’ve been part of hard work, daily habits, commitment to one another for, shoot, nine, ten months. You’re going to rely on those habits in the biggest moment in the biggest games, and that’s what we’re going to seek to do tomorrow night.”
Tip-off for the trip to the Elite Eight is scheduled for 10:10 p.m. ET and will air on TBS/TruTV. The Vols are looking to punch their ticket to a third-straight spot in the round with the potential of making their first-ever Final Four.
