Iowa State basketball walloped Kentucky behind forcing multiple Wildcats turnovers. Joshua Jefferson of the Cyclones left with a murky update, however, after the 82-63 rout in March Madness.
Jefferson needed help getting off the floor after suffering a right ankle injury. His head coach TJ Otzelberger dropped an update via Quad City Times reporter Ben Hutchens after the Sunday win.
“He has an MRI tomorrow at 11 a.m. so we'll see where that goes and take it from there,” Otzelberger said.
Jefferson never scored a basket in the game. But his ailment is huge considering the scoring impact he provides on the floor.
Importance of Joshua Jefferson on Iowa State
Jefferson averages 16.4 points per game when he's in the lineup.
He's delivered stellar production in big games too for the Cyclones. Arizona watched him deliver 21 points against them in the thrilling 82-80 loss during the Big 12 Tournament.
Jefferson produced nine other 20+ point games, including 24 against in-state rival Iowa back on Dec. 11. He also dropped 22 on No. 16 Texas Tech on Feb. 28 before the conference tournament.
The Cyclones need the forward's presence to hand them an additional interior scoring presence. But he's also a versatile shooter from behind the arc. He once nailed all four of this 3-pointers against Oklahoma State on Jan. 24.
Jefferson was dealing with the effects of a foot injury before facing Kentucky. Now this latest setback could wipe away the rest of his NCAA Tournament.
Iowa State will soon head to its third Sweet 16 appearance in the Otzelberger era. They haven't made a regional final since the 1999-2000 season.
