2025 Update: Injuries to Monitor ahead of March Madness for Men’s College Basketball

If you are exploring the futures market or already filling out your bracket, you need to do a status check on these men’s college basketball player injuries first!

🏀🏀Selection Sunday Edition last updated March 15, 2025 🏀🏀

Will Cooper Flagg Play Injured During March Madness for the Duke Blue Devils?

Just as news was announced that Duke superstar freshman would miss the ACC Championship game, Bleacher Report and Sports Illustrated were reporting that Flagg would be playing in the NCAA Tournament.

For Duke, it’s not only Cooper Flagg whose injury is stressing out fans. Fellow projected NBA pick and forward Maliq Brown has also been spotted on the sidelines wearing an arm wrap after dislocating his shoulder.

Texas Tech Twin Injuries that Could Ruin a Deep-Run for Red Raiders

Chance McMillian and Darrian Williams each missed Texas Tech’s last game in the Big 12 Tournament, which was also a lop-sided loss to Arizona.

Eye Test Observers Monitoring Other Injuries

Since posting this article, some @CBBEyeTest followers on Twitter have highlighted other injuries that they’re tracking. Joel Johns says that he’s watching for how Clemson basketball will make up for Dillon Hunter‘s missing production. The Greenville News is reporting that the guard is out indefinitely after breaking his right hand recently against SMU.

Another Twitter user “Right Wing Dad” might be taking a “conservative approach” to how far he has Wisconsin going in his bracket. He is monitoring Carter Gilmore’s health status, although the 6-7 Badger is not currently listed on the injury report.

Alabama’s Grant Nelson Nursing Knee Injury

Alabama snagged a 2-seed in the tournament, but wasn’t sure the tournament availability of its big man, Grant Nelson. On conference championship weekend, Alabama.com was reporting that the injury wasn’t structural.

Grant Nelson stretches the floor for a high scoring Alabama attack

Kentucky Otega Oweh Recovering from Collision

Kentucky’s combo guard who looks like a fullback is recovering from tough personal contact.

Memphis Basketball Injury Status for Star Guard Tyrese Hunter

During the American Conference semifinal, Tyrese Hunter landed awkwardly on another players toes. He found himself on the sidelines in a walking boot for the rest of that contest against Tulane.

Tyrese Hunter gets a foot boot in the semifinal of his conference tournament.

Going without him during March Madness would be a massive loss. Hunter contributes nearly 14 points per game with 3 or 4 assists and rebounds per game to go with it.

Houston Cougars Counting on High Level Veteran Juwan Roberts

Houston stud power forward and veteran leader J’Wan Roberts missed the Big 12 Conference Championship game (Cougars still won), but he is expected to play in March Madness.

Arkansas Hogs Hope for Big Bonus if their Bubble Berth Gets Buttoned-Up

Once expected to miss the entire season, Arkansas’s guard Boogie Fland could add a major boost to the Razorback’s roster if he rebounds from a hand injury. The setback happened in January, but reports started to surface around Selection Sunday that Fland is returning to practice.

Boogie Fland, John Calipari, Arkansas – © Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

Iowa State lists Nagging Injuries during Championship Week

The Cyclones are another team limping to the finish line of the regular season. Covers.com had both key rotation players Keshon Gilbert and Tamin Lipsey listed on the injury report as they both missed the Cyclone’s last game which was a rematch against BYU in the Big 12 Tournament. Lipsey and Gilbert had both played the prior game the day beforehand to Cincinnati, so one would assume they were being treated with care to avoid games on consecutive days.

Gilbert himself tweeted more information late Sunday, answering to speculation:

“Love/appreciate all of your support! i want yall to kno that there is nothing more to the situation. Im battling an injury that just can’t seem to get better while playing on it. But enough about me! We a 3 seed in Milwaukee .. Ik the guys are going to make you all proud!” -KG2Times on Twitter

Tender Wrist for St. John’s Hands-On Defense

Simeon Wilcher of St. John’s injured his hand in the semifinal game in the Big East Tournament, but played in the championship game the following day against Creighton.

Simeon Wilcher dunks over Sacred Heart defenders, courtesy St. John’s official roster

Other Injuries from the Archives Only for the 2024-2025 College Basketball Season

<The headlines below are archival references preceding >

Kansas KJ Adams Misses Time, Jayhawks Take Opportunity to Develop Depth

KJ Adams missed some time for the Kansas Jayhawks in late January. The one major loss suffered during that period was an embarrassing late collapse at Allen Fieldhouse against the Houston Cougars. However, this could ultimately be a good thing. This allowed the Jayhawks to develop the depth of their roster. Freshman forward Flory Bidunga flourished despite losing to Houston. He got some rare playing time and showed flashes of greatness in the post. Add him to a front line that includes Hunter Dickinson, who is having a healthy season for the chalky Jayhawks, and KU is suddenly looking like a dangerous blood blood that somehow snuck under the radar.

KJ Adams spotted missing a noteworthy loss at home to Houston

It is impossible to replace the production that Hunter Dickinson brings to KU Hoops. After a 2023-2024 season that saw him miss some time, Dickinson has played every game for the Jayhawks in November, December and January. His game log (and our eye test) shows consistent rebounding numbers between 8 and 14 per game. Dickinson can also get hot as a scorer, with a high ceiling in the high 20s.

Xavier NBA Prospect Plays after Limping Off Court Against St. John’s Mid-January

Xavier Sophomore Dailyn Swain was averaging 9 points and 5 rebounds when his squad was riding a 3 game winning streak and battling St. John’s in a Big East showdown at MSG. Swain was injured late and limped off the court as Xavier was in the middle of squandering a health lead.

Still, Swain returned right to the lineup in the next game. Instead, Xavier basketball has three other injuries listed on the Covers.com site.



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Teams to Fall in (or Out) of Love with across College Basketball

From makeups to break-ups, my relationships with certain college basketball teams remained volatile this Valentine’s Day week.  Here are teams that are either dressing sexy for the tournament committee, or about to get dumped.  

BY MATTY D.

“The One Night Stand”

They had zero idea what the future would bring, but things got hot and heavy for James and Madison one November evening in East Lansing. The James Madison Dukes defeated Michigan State in overtime at their house. They snagged a hottie as the semester started. Their dating profile jumped to the top of the feed. James Madison was actually listed in the AP Top 25.

However, after sliding into the DMs of the AP writers, the Dukes’ chances for more action went radio silent. Three losses in the Sun Belt Conference have this team out in the cold and not even in the bubble conversation.

Make Ups to Break Ups

This team is nothing but trouble. After losses to LSU, and winnable games slipping away against Ole Miss and Arkansas, confidence was still growing in our relationship with Texas A&M basketball. After a rocky January, it was time for some make ups sessions. That came in a big explosion in a 16 point victory against 6th ranked Tennessee. But those make ups went to break ups when they were caught messing around at Vanderbilt. The Aggies used their cheat card against a 1-9 team in the SEC.

Hanging You Out to Dry

There’s a lot of hype about these two coaches. Like elementary school children the night of February 13th, college basketball writers nationally waste a lot ink on these two guys. Will they be the man their fans have held out hope for? Or, will they leave their fan base high and dry?

Close-up shot of two red Valentines cards hanging on twine, isolated on white background

Of course, I’m talking about Memphis coach Penny Hardaway and St. John’s coach Rick Pitino. Hardaway has had a long-term relationship with Memphis, though his coaching chapter in that love novel has had some major ups and downs. As a former Memphis Tiger star himself, Hardaway has committed to his hometown city to grow roots and build a future together. After an amazing start to the season with multiple top 25 wins, the team is starting to revert back to playing like an AAU team (Hardaway’s prior coaching experience). This would be a major disappointment if this team failed to tie the knot with a tournament seed on Selection Sunday.

We won’t get into Pitino’s relationship history. As for his new relationship with the St. John’s Red Storm, it too has seen better days. After quality non-conference wins earlier this season against Utah and at West Virginia, it seems St. John’s has hit a ceiling in its own conference. Marquette and UCONN looked superior to them in their most recent matchups. And there’s a stockpile of so-so Big East teams floating around the bubble (Providence, Seton Hall, Villanova). At least two or three of these teams will have to perform best in the speed-dating equivalent of college basketball’s dating scene. They will have to win the Big East Tournament to make March Madness.

Suspect Spreads Saturday Record Against the Spread 2024 NCAAB

College basketball blogger Matty D. of collegebasketballeyetest.com reveals his record against the spread picking Saturday college basketball games.

CLICK HERE TO SEE MY FAVORITE LONG-SHOT FUTURES

Picks went 7-12 on Saturday, March 2nd bringing the season record to 20-24-1.

These college basketball picks went 4-5 starting a shaky day for yours truly.
These picks finished the day 3-7 for a poor start in March.

Picks went 6-3-2 on February 10th for a season record of 13-12-1.

Follow CBBEyeTest on Twitter for Saturday picks and ongoing debate. 

Picks went 2-5 on January 27th for a total record of 7-9-1.

Picks went 5-4-1 on January 6th to start the season barely above .500.