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March Madness Significant Injury News for the Second Round

John Hyslop

by John Hyslop in College Basketball

Updated Mar 20, 2021 · 7:22 PM PDT

Two trainers tend to Tyree Appleby, holding a towel to his forehead.
Florida guard Tyree Appleby (22) is treated after being injured in the second half of a first round game against Virginia Tech in the NCAA men's college basketball tournament at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Friday, March 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
  • Several teams will be missing key players in the second round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament
  • 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 round of 32 is complete

The second round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament will get underway on Sunday. As always, it’s important to note which teams will be missing key players as injuries can drastically alter a team’s chances in a field like this.

There are more than a few significant injuries to be aware of heading into the second round.

Key Player Injuries NCAA Tournament

Team Player (Position) Injury Status Statistics Next Game
Florida Tyree Appleby (G) Head Questionable 11.2 PPG, 3.2 APG, 3.1 RPG Oral Roberts vs Florida (-8.5)
Houston Dejon Jarreau (PG) Hip Doubtful 10.6 PPG, 4.2 APG, 5.3 RPG Rutgers vs Houston (-8.5)
Kansas Jalen Wilson (F) Undisclosed Questionable 12.1 PPG, 2 APG, 8.2 RPG Kansas vs USC (-1)
Michigan Isaiah Livers (F) Stress Fracture (Foot) Out 13.1 PPG, 2 APG, 6 RPG LSU vs Michigan (-5)
Rutgers Myles Johnson (C) Ankle Questionable 8 PPG, .8 APG, 8.7 RPG Rutgers vs Houston (-8.5)
Villanova Colin Gillespie (PG) Torn MCL Out 14 PPG, 4.6 APG, 3.3 RPG North Texas vs Villanova (-6.5)

Table last updated March 20th.

Tyree Appleby (G), Florida

In the very first game on Friday viewers saw one of the more bizarre injuries in recent memory. Tyree Appleby of Florida took an inadvertent elbow right in the middle of his forehead which knocked him to the floor. He stayed down for a few minutes while bleeding before he was taken off the court.

Appleby ended up getting stitches for the wound and is being listed as questionable for the Gators’ second round matchup with Oral Roberts. Appleby is one of five Florida Gators to average double figures in scoring so he is a key member in a balanced approach. More should come on his status ahead of the 7:45pm ET tipoff on Sunday.

Dejon Jarreau (PG), Houston

The Houston Cougars completely dominated the Cleveland State Vikings Friday night winning 87-56. They dropped 50 points in the second half as they outclassed the Vikings in every way possible. But those around the program who tuned in after the 1-minute mark had to be wondering where DeJon Jarreau was all night.

Jarreau left the game 41 seconds in with a hip injury and never returned. He is being listed as questionable for Sunday’s game with the Rutgers Scarlet Nights. Kelvin Sampson has called Jarreau the most important player on the Cougars’ roster. He is the engine that makes this team go and losing him for any time puts a damper on Houston’s national championship hopes.

Jalen Wilson (F), Kansas

The Kansas Jayhawks survived a scare from the Eastern Washington Eagles on Saturday to advance to the second round. At one point they were down double digits as they were abused inside by Tanner Groves. Jalen Wilson would have been a big help but he was held out for undisclosed reasons involving COVID-19.

Wilson is the third leading scorer on the Kansas roster but his 8.2 rebounds per game will be missed most. Wilson was a glass-eater down the stretch, grabbing at least nine boards in nine of his last 10 games. USC is the 17th-ranked in rebound percentage, so all hands will need to be on deck for the Jayhawks. Wilson is still being listed as questionable for this game.

Isaiah Livers (F), Michigan

The Wolverines made quick work of first round opponent, Texas Southern, beating them 82-66. Michigan had to do so without the help of Isaiah Livers who has a stress fracture in his foot and will likely miss the entire tournament. He is a big piece of the Wolverines’ identity.

Aside from being a leader off the court, Livers was also Michigan’s second leading scorer, averaging 13.1 points per game. He is a 43% three-point shooter as well as an 87% free-throw shooter. Guys like Livers don’t grow on trees and the Wolverines will begin to miss him sooner than later in this tournament.

Myles Johnson (C), Rutgers

Steve Pikiell has completely turned the Rutgers Scarlet Knights’ basketball program around. Hired in 2019, he has taken the Scarlet Knights from a doormat to a team others need to worry about. On Friday, Rutgers took another step in the right direction by winning their first tournament game since 1983.

If the Scarlet Knights want to in another game in the tournament, they may have to do it without starting center, Myles Johnson. Johnson tweaked his ankle in the win over Clemson and was unable to return. He doesn’t do much in the way of scoring but he is the team’s leading rebounder. He is being listed as questionable for Rutgers’ second round matchup against the Houston Cougars.

Collin Gillespie (PG), Villanova

Villanova was able to get out of the first round pretty much unscathed as they beat Winthrop 73-63 to advance to the second round. They had to do it without star point guard Collin Gillespie, which was not an easy task. They caught a break by drawing North Texas after they upset Purdue but Gillespie will no doubt be missed.

Besides being the team’s second leading scorer, Gillespie also led the team in assists with 4.6 per game. On top of being the facilitator, he was also the best option to take free-throws at the end of games. His 83.3% mark from the charity stripe led the Wildcats this season. At some point, his absence could derail the Wildcats’ season.

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