Key March Madness Injuries & Absences for Friday, March 20 – Is Aden Holloway Playing Today?

• Two Duke starters are battling significant injuries
• Will Braden Huff return for Gonzaga?
• See the full list of March Madness injuries to know for 2026

The 68-team field is set and the printable March Madness bracket is posted. Before you fill out your picks, it’s imperative to know which teams are battling key injuries.

The table below lists all the March Madness injuries to know for 2026. The list is ordered alphabetically by team, and then by player (last name). Under the table, I dive deeper into the biggest NCAA Tournament injuries and their likely impact.

March Madness Injuries (2026)

Note that players with fewer than six games played this season have been omitted from the list. That includes Alabama’s Charles Bediako (5 GP).

Injury list last updated at 9:27 am ET, March 20th. Download the best sports betting app for the NCAA Tournament.

Alabama Crimson Tide Injuries (Midwest #4): Aden Holloway

The Tide got brutal news on Tuesday when junior guard Aden Holloway, the team’s second-leading scorer, was arrested for felony marijuana possession, according to Reuters. Head coach Nate Oats has already stated that his team is preparing to play without him. Holloway posted a $5,000 bond but has been provisionally suspended by the team pending investigation.

Alabama faces #13 Hofstra in the first round. The Tide opened as 12.5-point favorites; the line is now Bama -11.5 and don’t be surprised if it drops further.

BYU Cougars Injuries (West #6): Richie Saunders, Dawson Baker

BYU suffered a huge blow back in mid-February when senior guard Richie Saunders went down with a season-ending knee injury. Saunders was one-third of the Cougars’ devastating big three alongside freshman sensation AJ Dybantsa (225.2 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 3.8 APG) – the favorite to go #1 overall in the 2026 NBA Draft odds – and sophomore Robert Wright III (18.2 PPG, 4.7 APG).

The Cougars are under .500 since Saunders went down, losing four of their final six regular-season games and going 2-1 in the Big 12 Tournament.

Duke Blue Devils Injuries (East #1): Caleb Foster, Patrick Ngongba II

The #1 overall Duke Blue Devils went through the ACC Tournament down two starters: junior guard Caleb Foster, who suffered a broken foot against UNC on March 7, and sophomore center Patrick Ngongba II, who has been dealing with “foot soreness” since a March 2 win at NC State.

Foster won’t return unless the Blue Devils make a deep run, but Ngongba could suit up for the Blue Devils’ opener against #16 Siena, according to Yahoo News.

Duke is a massive 29.5-point favorite against the Saints (up from the opening line of 27.5). After winning the ACC Tournament without Foster and Ngongba, head coach Jon Scheyer should feel comfortable about giving his center another 48 hours’ rest before a second-round clash with either #8 Ohio State or #9 TCU.

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Gonzaga Bulldogs Injuries (West #3): Braden Huff

Gonzaga has been playing without 6’10 junior forward Braden Huff since January 15. The team’s second-leading scorer and rebounder, Huff suffered a knee injury in practice. The 30-3 Zags suffered two of their three losses this season while Huff was sidelined but they did manage to win another WCC Tournament title without him (and split their home and home with Saint Mary’s).

The good news for the Bulldogs is that first-round opponent #14 Kennesaw State is without leading scorer Simeon Cottle (20.2 PPG in 17 GP). The Owls went 7-7 to end the regular season without their MVP before stringing together a trio of wins in the C-USA Tournament (two as underdogs).

The Bulldogs are massive 19.5-point favorites over Kennesaw State in the first round and are likely to meet AJ Dybantsa and BYU in the second round.

Michigan Wolverines Injuries (Midwest #1): LJ Cason

The Wolverines lost rotational guard LJ Cason six games ago to a torn ACL. The 6’2 sophomore is out for the season.

Michigan was a perfect 5-0 without Cason until the final of the Big Ten Tournament, when they were blitzed by Purdue (80-72).

North Carolina Tar Heels Injuries (South #6): Caleb Wilson

No team has suffered a bigger single injury than UNC, which lost soon-to-be top-five pick Caleb Wilson to a season-ending thumb injury during practice on March 5. The Tar Heels are 0-2 without their star freshman, getting crushed by Duke in Durham (76-61) and then falling in their first game of the ACC Tournament by a point to Clemson (80-79).

The Selection Committee knocked the Tar Heels down a seed line (or two) because of the injury and UNC will get a stiff test from A10-champion VCU in the first round. The Tar Heels are modest 2.5-point chalk. They would likely face #3 Illinois – the nation’s second-rated offense at KenPom – in the second round.

Texas Tech Red Raiders Injuries (Midwest #5): JT Toppin, LeJuan Watts

A top-five contender in the Wooden Award odds all season, junior forward JT Toppin suffered a season-ending knee injury at Arizona State on Feb 17. The Red Raiders went onto lose that game and went just 3-3 thereafter, getting blown out by Iowa State in their first game of the Big 12 Tournament.

LeJuan Watts also went down in that loss to Iowa State, but he doesn’t appear to be at risk of missing TTU’s round of 64 game against Akron. The March Madness first-round odds opened with the Red Raiders as 8.5-point chalk against the Zips. That number has already dropped a full point to 7.5. TTU is bound to be a popular pick to get upset early in the bracket.

UCLA Bruins Injuries (East #7): Donovan Dent, Tyler Bilodeau

The Bruins enter the tournament with two major injury concerns. Star forward Tyler Bilodeau suffered a non-contact mild right knee strain during UCLA’s Big Ten quarterfinal win over Michigan State on March 13. The injury was significant enough to sideline him entirely for the following day’s semifinal loss to Purdue. While Bilodeau is expected to be available for the NCAA Tournament, his effectiveness is a major question mark.

Key backcourt facilitator Donovan Dent was visibly limited by a calf strain during the Big Ten Tournament semifinal against Purdue, and his status for the round of 64 remains uncertain. A compromised Dent – or one who cannot play at all – would force guards Trent Perry and Eric Dailey Jr into expanded roles as primary creators.

Check out SBD’s comprehensive March Madness coverage, including:

• March Madness Expert Bracket Picks
• March Madness A.I. Predictions for Every First Round Game
• March Madness Overseeded/Underseeded Teams According to KenPom
• March Madness MOP Odds & Picks
• The Public’s Favorite NCAA Tournament Picks
• March Madness Champion Odds After Selection Sunday
• Final Four Odds for March Madness 2026 – Odds to Reach Final Four for All 68 Teams
• NCAA Tournament Odds for All First Round Games – Opening Spreads, Totals, Moneylines