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No. 2 seed Iowa State turns up the defense, shuts down No. 7 Kentucky in 82-63 NCAA tourney victory

Tamin Lipsey had 26 points and 10 assists as second-seeded Iowa State pulled away in the second half for an 82-63 win over No. 7 seed Kentucky in the second round of the NCAA Tourn...
MARCH 22 • Associated Press
How to live stream Kentucky vs Iowa State: March Madness 2026 NCAA Tournament, TV channel After advancing through the first round, Kentucky faces Iowa State on Sunday in the 2026 NCAA Tournament with a trip to the Sweet 16 on the...
MARCH 22 • THEBIGLEAD.COM
Xzavion Mitchell - Out yet again Mitchell (undisclosed) did not play during Sunday's 82-63 victory over Kentucky.
Impact Mitchell was once again held out due to an undisclosed injury. The 6-foot-6 freshman has not appeared in a game since December and has played a total of 20 minutes across 7 games this season. His next chance to return will come in Iowa State's Sweet 16 matchup on Friday.
MARCH 22 • ROTOWIRE
Joshua Jefferson - Undergoing MRI Monday Jefferson (ankle) is set to undergo an MRI on Monday, per Sam Lance of The Field of 68.
Impact Jefferson will undergo the MRI to determine the severity of the ankle injury he suffered during Friday's win over Tennessee State. If he ends up being unable to play during next week's Sweet Sixteen matchup, Jamarion Batemon, Nate Heise and Dominykas Pleta could all see increased playing time once again.
MARCH 22 • ROTOWIRE
Nate Heise - Added to starting lineup Heise is part of the Cyclones' starting lineup for their upcoming game Sunday with Kentucky, according to Eugene Rapay of The Journal News.
Impact Normally, Heise is not part of the Cyclones' starting lineup, but they require a replacement because Joshua Jefferson (ankle) is out for the 2026 NCAA tournament Round of 32. In place of him will be Heise, their most experienced backup potentially logging his last game as a student-athlete. Across his 35 games (three starts) this season, Heise has averaged 5.2 points and 4.0 rebounds in 24.4 minutes, good enough for a sixth-man role and backing up the possibility that he may log many minutes against Kentucky.
MARCH 22 • ROTOWIRE
Joshua Jefferson - Out for Round of 32 Jefferson (ankle) is out for Sunday's Round of 32 game with Kentucky.
Impact Jefferson, dealing with an ankle injury per the Des Moines Register, will not only log his first DNP of the 2025-26 season but also sit out what may be Iowa State's last game this campaign. ISU and Kentucky will compete in the 2026 NCAA tournament's Round of 32, not long after he suffered his ankle injury. Among the Cyclones' backups, Jamarion Batemon, Nate Heise and Dominykas Pleta are all regular-rotation members who may start in place of Jefferson, averaging 16.4 points and 7.4 rebounds across all his starts this season. If the Cyclones cannot defeat Kentucky, Jefferson's collegiate career ends, so he is hoping there is a chance it can end on his own terms.
MARCH 22 • ROTOWIRE
Is Joshua Jefferson playing vs. Kentucky? Latest injury updates, status on Iowa State forward after gruesome incident | Sporting News Will the Cyclones' star forward be able to play in the second round of March Madness?
MARCH 22 • SPORTINGNEWS.COM

Rick Barnes spurned Virginia years ago. The Cavaliers are in his way of taking Tennessee to Sweet 16

Rick Barnes will face the team that offered him a coaching job 36 years ago when he leads Tennessee against Virginia in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday
MARCH 21 • Associated Press

Iowa State Star Joshua Jefferson Unlikely To Play vs. Kentucky In NCAA Tourney

Iowa State is unlikely to have All-American Joshua Jefferson available against No. 7 seed Kentucky on Sunday in the NCAA Tournament.
MARCH 21 • FOX SPORTS
Iowa State Star Joshua Jefferson Unlikely To Play vs. Kentucky In NCAA Tourney
Xzavion Mitchell - Questionable once again Mitchell (undisclosed) is questionable for Sunday's game against Kentucky.
Impact Mitchell might be carrying a questionable tag, but he's not expected to play. He has been listed either questionable or doubtful in most of the games he's missed since Dec. 21.
MARCH 21 • ROTOWIRE
Joshua Jefferson - Officially listed as questionable Jefferson (lower body) is questionable for Sunday's game against Kentucky.
Impact The X-rays came back negative after Jefferson exited the Tournament opener against Tennessee State, and the questionable tag means he'll wait until the very last minute to decide whether he'll play. Jefferson averages 16.4 points, 7.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.6 steals per game across 35 appearances this season, so not having him would be a huge blow for the Cyclones.
MARCH 21 • ROTOWIRE
What We Learned From Iowa State's Win Victory Tennessee State Friday was the opening game for the Iowa State Cyclones in the March Madness, where they look to become National Champions for the first tim...
MARCH 21 • SI.COM

Iowa State and Kentucky square off in second round of NCAA Tournament

The No. 6 Iowa State Cyclones and Kentucky Wildcats play in the NCAA Tournament second round
MARCH 21 • Associated Press

4 Takeaways From Round 1 of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament

FOX Sports' Michael Cohen offers up his biggest takeaways from the opening round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament.
MARCH 21 • FOX SPORTS
4 Takeaways From Round 1 of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament

2026 NCAA Basketball Tournament Highlights: UCLA Escapes, More

The 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament continues Friday, and we’re tracking every biggest moment from the Big Dance!
MARCH 21 • FOX SPORTS
2026 NCAA Basketball Tournament Highlights: UCLA Escapes, More

2025-26 Men's First Round Odds: Betting Results for all 32 Games

Check out the betting outcomes for all 32 first-round games in the men's NCAA Tournament.
MARCH 21 • FOX SPORTS
2025-26 Men's First Round Odds: Betting Results for all 32 Games
Iowa State get huge news on Joshua Jefferson status for March Madness March Madness delivered several incredible moments in the opening rounds—upsets, miracles, and battles of survival. One moment, however, lef...
MARCH 20 • THEBIGLEAD.COM

Iowa State loses star F Joshua Jefferson to an injury in first-round NCAA blowout of Tennessee State

Second-seeded Iowa State blew out No. 15 seed Tennessee State 108-74 on Friday after losing star forward Joshua Jefferson to an ankle injury in the opening minutes of their first-r...
MARCH 20 • Associated Press
Nate Heise - Busts out with 22 points off bench Heise finished with 22 points (8-13 FG, 4-5 3Pt, 2-4 FT), four rebounds, three assists and one steal over 27 minutes during Friday's 108-74 victory over Tennessee State.
Impact Heise came off the bench and drained 4-of-5 from beyond the arc en route to a season-high 22 points during Iowa State's rout in the first round of the NCAA tournament. The sixth-year senior wing stepped up offensively thanks in part to the loss of star forward Joshua Jefferson to a lower body injury along with Tamin Lipsey who was riddled with foul trouble throughout. Heise has proven to be a capable scorer in the past, averaging as many as 13.5 points two seasons ago while at Northern Iowa and shooting 40.9-percent from beyond the arc last season with Iowa State, though he had averaged just 4.7 points and 30.7-percent from deep prior to Thursday's breakout performance.
MARCH 20 • ROTOWIRE
Blake Buchanan - Evolving role Buchanan finished Friday's 108-74 victory over Tennessee State with 11 points (5-9 FG, 1-2 FT), seven rebounds, eight assists, two blocks and three steals across 26 minutes.
Impact Buchanan put together a fantastic all-around effort as Iowa State cruised through the first round of the NCAA tournament. With Joshua Jefferson going down early with a lower-body injury, Buchanan took on some of his role, taking on his point forward role by dishing out a career-high eight assists to go along with 11 points, seven boards, three steals and two blocks. While the competition wasn't the stiffest, Buchanan's performance potentially provides insight into how the 6-foot-10 center's role will evolve for as long as Jefferson is sidelined.
MARCH 20 • ROTOWIRE
Killyan Toure - Steps up with career day Toure chipped in 25 points (8-12 FG, 2-3 3Pt, 7-8 FT), 11 rebounds and six assists in 30 minutes during Friday's 108-74 victory over Tennessee State.
Impact Toure kicked off his first experience in the NCAA tournament with a career performance, setting new career highs with 25 points and 11 rebounds, eight of which came on the offensive end, while matching a career-best effort with six assists. The freshman wing shot an efficient 66.7-percent from both the floor and from the three-point arc during the winning effort. With the loss of Joshua Jefferson to a lower body injury and Tamin Lipsey spending much of the game on the bench due to foul trouble, Toure took full advantage of his extended opportunity. With Jefferson listed as doubtful for Sunday's second round, Toure will be relied upon to step up once again against a very dangerous Kentucky squad.
MARCH 20 • ROTOWIRE
Iowa State basketball star suffers scary leg injury Joshua Jefferson limped off the court March 20, unable to put weight on his left foot. https://twitter.com/espn/status/2035075342700880083?s...
MARCH 20 • THEBIGLEAD.COM
Joshua Jefferson injury update is bad news for Iowa State Cyclones | Sporting News This one looked really painful.
MARCH 20 • SPORTINGNEWS.COM

Iowa State All-American Joshua Jefferson sprains ankle in opening minutes of NCAA tourney game

Iowa State forward Joshua Jefferson sprained his left ankle in the opening minutes of the second-seeded Cyclones’ 108-74 rout of No. 15 seed Tennessee State
MARCH 20 • Associated Press
Xzavion Mitchell - Doesn't play Mitchell (undisclosed) didn't play in Friday's win over Tennessee State.
Impact Mitchell last played for the Cyclones in late December. He'll probably receive another injury designation over the weekend, but his chances of playing should remain slim to none.
MARCH 20 • ROTOWIRE
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