Here are some injuries for you to monitor before filling out your bracket for March Madness 2026.
The end of the regular season is seeing its share of season ending injuries to stars, but there are plenty more injury statuses to keep an eye on. Even if these players have returned, its worth noting how they and their team have performed in the closing month of the season before the Madness begins.
UNC’s Caleb Wilson Out With Broken Hand
The headline of the college basketball injury landscape is Caleb Wilson’s broken hand. UNC star Caleb Wilson suffered a broken in late January, but has shared on social media how he looks forward to playing again at Chapel Hill. Because Wilson is a no-doubt NBA lottery pick, many people were speculating that he’ll never return to a UNC powder blue uniform again.
Wilson never made it back to the court to finish his freshman season, despite trying. He broke his hand again during practice while building up to game shape in early March.
Darius Acuff Ankle Acting Out to Start March
The Arkansas point guard was starting to get national player of the year consideration, led by some in the coaching community. ESPN reporter Pete Thamel reported that the star freshman’s ankle injury would keep him out for the season finale against the Missouri Tigers.
Losing to the 20th ranked Razorbacks certainly got Texas Head Coach Sean Miller’s attention. He called Acuff Jr. the best point guard he’d seen in 40 years.
BYU’s Richie Saunders Ruled Out for Season with ACL Tear
The headline of an injury-plagued second half of the college basketball season was this sad news. BYU sharpshooter Richie Saunders suffered a season-ending ACL injury. Saunders was a veteran leader for the Cougars, averaging around 18.8 points per game while shooting nearly 49% from the field and about 37.6% from three this season.
His absence was felt both on the scoreboard. The guard tore his ACL on Feb. 14. The Cougars were 19–6 at the time, but have gone just 2–4 in the games since the injury, dropping five of their last seven overall and sliding out of the AP Top 25. A key moment was when BYU visited Cincinnati to begin March and lose what could be a defacto playoff game if The Big 12 gets only one bubble team into the tournament.
Since Saunders went down, AJ Dybantsa has taken on an even larger scoring burden. His production has climbed from 24.4 points per game before the injury to 27.2 afterward, but the added volume has come with lower efficiency, as his field-goal percentage has dropped from 53.6% to 46.6% over the last five games.
Illinois Injury Shuffle: Boswell Returns, Stojakovic Now Sidelined
It was guard off the IL, one guard remaining on the IL for Illinois. After an extended absence from the lineup, Kylan Boswell returned to the lineup for a convincing win at home against Indiana, giving the Illini a much-needed jolt of experience and steadiness. However, Andrej Stojakovic has been now nursing an ankle injury of his own, and Illinois suddenly finds itself toggling between getting healthier and losing another key contributor.
For readers tracking bloodlines across the sport, check out our companion link following the growing list of sons of NBA players now in college hoops.
Gonzaga’s Braden Huff Injury Could Loom Larger Than Expected
Braden Huff was emerging as one of those classic Gonzaga program players who evolves from a skinny modest contributor to a major force down low. His verstality as a stretch 4 has been noticeably missing since his 4–8 week absence began a few weeks ago with a knee injury. However, as his timetable stalls and the postseason competition intensifies, this injury could become more consequential as the weeks go by.
Arizona’s Koa Peat Avoids Reported Injury List But Still Worth Monitoring
Koa Peat missed a few games in February, but Arizona did just fine without him. I’m not saying that Arizona doesn’t need him. I’m saying that Arizona is a national championship contender, even if a star goes down. They are 8 players deep, easily.
Fun Fact: One of Lebron James’ sons are on the team, but he can’t even get playing time with how talented the Wildcats are.
Click here to see a full roster of sons of NBA players in college hoops.
Kansas Star Darren Paterson: Injury Mystery or Draft Countdown?
There’s been some confusion surrounding KU basketball star Darren Paterson’s status this season. Right now, it remains unclear whether he is doing college basketball part time before cashing in his NBA Lottery ticket, or whether he has a tangible injury that we should be monitoring. Kansas has not provided a fully transparent update, and that ambiguity has fueled speculation at the worst possible time of year. A Kansas Jayhawks loss at Arizona State has the questions more about team chemistry than it does Paterson’s health status. The Jayhawks also lost at home to Cincinnati when Paterson played his most minutes of the season.
Kentucky’s Jayden Quaintance Remains Sidelined With Knee Injury
Jayden Quaintance has missed an extended stretch of games for Kentucky while dealing with a knee injury, and his status remains one of the most important health questions for the Wildcats entering the heart of the postseason. The former Arizona State transfer brings rare athleticism and size to Kentucky’s frontcourt, making his absence especially noticeable in matchups against bigger opponents. Reports in mid-February indicated that the length of the injury has also begun to impact outside perceptions of his season and availability. Until Quaintance is cleared to return, Kentucky’s rotation continues to operate without one of its most physically dynamic interior pieces.
Vanderbilt’s Depth Tested as February Wears On
Vanderbilt’s backcourt and frontcourt have been thin in February and the Commodores record has suffered as a result. Duke Miles and Frankie Collins health statuses are worth monitoring, because Vanderbilt simply doesn’t have the margin for error that deeper SEC contenders enjoy down the stretch. Vanderbilt lost three straight games (Texas, Florida, Arkansas) in February while Frankie Collins was out of the lineup. Despite gaining their starting guards back, Vanderbilt suffered enough losses in 2026 to where they found themselves on the tournament bubble.
USC’s Engine: Chad Baker-Mazara Shut Down
We don’t know if feelings got injured or if a body part got injured, but USC shut down Chad Baker-Mazara to start March. The program announced that he is no longer on the team. He was tthe engine that made the Trojans go. After transferring from Auburn, Baker-Mazara has emerged as USC’s most consistent offensive force, providing scoring, shot creation, and leadership in late-game moments.
Nebraska Monitoring Multiple Questionable Rotation Pieces
Nebraska has several rotation players currently appearing on the injury board, including forward Lawrence Curtis, forward Uros Jarusevicius, and forward Harv Burt, all listed as questionable with undisclosed issues. The most statistically meaningful absence, however, is guard CJ Essegian, who remains out with an ankle injury after providing one of Nebraska’s better perimeter scoring options earlier in the year. Essegian averaged roughly 10 points per game last season and has been a career 40 percent three-point shooter at the college level, making him the most proven offensive contributor among this group as Nebraska pushes toward March.
Teams Currently Carrying Completely Clean Injury Reports
Some of America’s top programs currently show completely free injury reports, giving them a major advantage as the season tightens:
- UCONN
- Florida
- Arkansas
- Wisconsin
- Virginia
- Louisville
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