Upcoming Match-ups

COVID and Injuries for the Elite 8 of NCAA Tournament

John Hyslop

by John Hyslop in College Basketball

Updated Mar 28, 2021 · 8:05 PM PDT

Michigan forward Isaiah Livers driving to the net against Wisconsin guard Jonathan Davis during a NCAA men's basketball game.
Michigan forward Isaiah Livers (2) drives on Wisconsin guard Jonathan Davis (1) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2021, in Ann Arbor, Mich. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
  • Only one of the eight remaining teams in the 2021 NCAA Tournament will be missing key players in the Elite 8 round
  • See which players are injured or unavailable along with the point spread for their team’s next game
  • The list below will be updated until the Elite Eight is complete

The Elite Eight round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament will get underway on Monday night and wrap up late Tuesday. Injuries are always an issue so it’s important to keep up with who’s in and who’s out. Players being limited or out all together can have a huge impact in the outcome of these games.

There are just a couple significant injuries to be aware of heading into the Elite Eight.

Key Player Injuries and COVID Absences in the Elite 8

Team Player (Position) Injury Status Statistics Next Game
Houston Dejon Jarreau (PG) Hip Healthy 10.6 PPG, 4.2 APG, 5.3 RPG Oregon State vs Houston (-7.5)
Michigan Isaiah Livers (F) Stress Fracture (Foot) Out 13.1 PPG, 2 APG, 6 RPG UCLA vs Michigan (OFF)

Table last updated 11:01 pm ET March 28th.

Dejon Jarreau (PG), Houston

Multiple reports said that Houston’s DeJon Jarreau was not going to be 100% heading into the Cougars’ matchup with Syracuse. He has been dealing with a hip injury since the opening minutes of Houston’s first round game with Cleveland State. He gave it a go in the second round against Rutgers, rested for almost a week, and then gutted it out against Syracuse Saturday night.

Jarreau looked to be moving much better against Syracuse than we did in the second round matchup with Rutgers. He only scored nine points but was dangerously close to a triple-double as well as holding Buddy Boeheim in check all night. If the Cougars are going catch another win Monday night against Oregon State, Jarreau will have to gut it out again. The good news is all signs point to his hip injury being in the rearview mirror as he isn’t even listed on the injury report.

Isaiah Livers (F), Michigan

After their 82-66 first round win over Texas Southern, the chatter around Michigan Wolverines was that Isaiah Livers’ absence would be their downfall. Many called for it ahead of their 86-78 win over the LSU Tigers. The calls were even louder before their dominant 76-58 win over the Florida State Seminoles. Even though Livers is officially out for the rest of the tournament, Michigan is moving on the Elite 8.

Livers was Michigan’s second leading scorer this season, averaging 13.1 points per game and was the team’s top three point shooter. In his absence against the Seminoles, Michigan only attempted 11 three-pointers. It remains to be seen whether that strategy can work against the Wolverines’ next opponent, the UCLA Bruins.

UCLA’s title odds improved from +4750 to +2500 after they upset Alabama in the Sweet 16, and they have covered the spread in all four of their tournament games so far – three times as underdogs – starting with the First Four versus Michigan State.

Author Image