Injuries in the Midwest Region of the NCAA Tournament are headlined by a name familiar to many college basketball fans. Louisville guard Kevin Ware will again be a spectator for the Cardinals’ quest for a title. Ware, who suffered a gruesome leg fracture last season, will not play after being kicked in his surgically repaired leg during a December outing against Missouri State. The Cardinals used Ware’s initial injury as motivation and time will tell if they can rally once again. Their first test will come against a healthy Manhattan team hoping for an upset after beating Iona in the MAAC Championship.
The Wichita State Shockers remain undefeated largely in part to their good health. Darius Carter was the only player amongst the Shockers top eight scorers to miss time with an injury, sitting a single game with a sprained foot. They will face the winner of Wednesday’s matchup against Cal Poly and Texas Southern, two teams who have successfully managed minor injuries throughout the season. None stand out more than Cal Poly forward Kyle Odister who is playing despite reoccurring problems with his right and left ankle.
The other play-in game involves Iowa and Tennessee. Iowa junior Josh Oglesby has returned to the rotation after missing 12 games with a broken foot. Tennessee freshmen Robert Hubbs wasn’t quite as lucky as shoulder surgery prematurely ended his season, leaving the Volunteers without a dangerous perimeter weapon. The winner of the game will face a healthy and waiting UMass team.
Kentucky checks in as an eight-seed, a surprising low rank for a team that has avoided injuries for the majority of the season. Leading-scorer Julius Randle suffered a well-documented case of cramps in his legs during the team’s win over Louisville but the Wildcats are otherwise healthy. It’s a nice change from last year when Nerlens Noel missed the postseason after tearing his ACL. They will face the Kansas State Wildcats, another team who has done a good job staying out of the athletic training room. Little-used Jack Karapetyan is out with a foot injury but Nigel Johnson is over his bout with mononucleosis.
St. Louis University and North Carolina State will face off at full strength in the 5-12 matchup. NC State’s leading scorer TJ Warren has shown no signs of slowing down despite a sprained left ankle that cost him a game in mid-January. Warren has averaged 29.5 points per game since sitting on January 20.
Duke and Mercer is another matchup lacking any injury intrigue. The Blue Devils, led by freshmen Jabari Parker, had five of its primary rotation players available for all 34 games this season.
The second-seeded Michigan Wolverines have one major red flag entering the tournament but remain a fan favorite. The team has played surprisingly well despite the loss of preseason All-American Mitch McGary, who needed season-ending back surgery. They’ve done so by keeping the rest of the team on the court and will look to advance against the Wofford Terriers, whose lone injury is to reserve Aerris Smith.