Tennessee has made it past the gauntlet of the first weekend of the NCAA tournament, and now they have to take on a very good Iowa State team, which won its first two games shorthanded. Their star forward, Joshua Jefferson, suffered an ankle injury against Tennessee State on Friday, yet the Cyclones still managed to beat Kentucky in the Round of 32 by 19 without him.
3 things Tennessee basketball fans need to know about Sweet 16 opponent Iowa State
The latest update comes from college basketball insider Jon Rothstein this morning, who said that Jefferson is continuing to progress. Obviously, it's still early in the week, and Iowa State has until late Friday evening to make the call for him to play or not, so it could come down to the wire if he plays or not.
Sources: Iowa State's Joshua Jefferson (ankle) is "continuing to progress" after suffering an injury last Friday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) March 24, 2026
DNP in last game.
Averages 16.4 PPG, 7.4 RPG, and 4.8 APG.
Cyclones face Tennessee on Friday in the Sweet 16.
Tennessee's Joshua Jefferson preparation
Rick Barnes now has another layer of preparation to do ahead of the Sweet 16 game. The Vols will have to be prepared for Jefferson, but also for Iowa State if he doesn't play. Their point guard, Tamin Lipsey, stepped up big last weekend, and so did Nate Heise.
Obviously, Tennessee will have to be prepared for Milan Momcilovic, their leading scorer and the best shooter in the nation. It will be crucial to take him away and make Iowa State's other players beat Tennessee if there is no Jefferson.
If he's in it, it's a whole different story. Iowa State plays through the 6-foot-9 forward down low, but if he's good enough to play, not 100%, how does their offense look? It will be interesting to see what Barnes does and how they prepare for Jefferson to potentially be in.
Tennessee is capable of pulling off the upset, but it won’t come easy against the relentless pressure of Iowa State. If the offense stalls or turnovers pile up, Chicago could turn into a long night for the Vols.