College Basketball Teams That Most Need to Get Healthy for 2015 NCAA Tournament
Teams want to enter the NCAA Tournament riding a wave of momentum. But what is even more important to coaches is the health of their teams. An injury to a key player can ruin a team's postseason chances before it starts.
Several teams who are virtually assured of NCAA tournament berths have injury issues that need to be resolved if they hope to have postseason success. Other teams on the bubble need players to return from injuries to give them a shot at making the NCAA tournament.
We start our list with a squad that is stuck with an unhealthy postseason situation followed by a ranking of the top teams that most need to get healthy for the NCAA tournament. The ranking is based on the importance of the injured players to the team's success and the severity of the injury.
Not included on this list is Duke, which is healthy but desperately needs to stay healthy because it has only eight scholarship players available.
12. Virginia Commonwealth
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To a large extent, Virginia Commonwealth is already doomed, which is why it only sits at the No. 12 slot. But it deserves mention because health has played such a significant role in its postseason chances.
Guard Briante Weber personifies Virginia Commonwealth basketball, and not having him available for the postseason virtually eliminates the notion that the Rams can duplicate their Final Four run of 2011.
Shaka Smart's team relies on its full-court pressure defense to create havoc and force turnovers. No one was better at that than Weber, who leads the nation in steals by a wide margin at 3.9 per game. He was just 12 steals shy of breaking the Division I record for career steals when he tore his anterior cruciate ligament on January 31, ending his season.
It's hard to imagine the Rams applying enough defensive pressure to go deep into the NCAA tournament without Weber.
At least VCU has guard Treveon Graham back. Graham, the team's leading scorer, missed two games with a sprained ankle, and the Rams lost both games. He returned February 15, and the Rams have won both games since.
The concern with a sprained ankle is that it is more susceptible to subsequent sprains. As difficult as the postseason will be for VCU without Weber, it will be significantly worse if Graham should reinjure his ankle. He simply must remain healthy.
11. Davidson
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Davidson guard Jack Gibbs had missed seven straight games with a knee injury before returning to action in Wednesday's game against George Washington. He came off the bench to score 11 points in the two-point win.
But the Wildcats need Gibbs to be at 100 percent if they are to make it to the NCAA tournament and perhaps win a game or two once there.
Gibbs fills a lot of holes for Davidson, averaging 15.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.9 assists while shooting 51.7 from the field and 41.4 percent on three-pointers.
The Wildcats must hope Gibbs does not reinjure his knee. Having Gibbs back is important for Davidson. Having him completely healthy for the Atlantic 10 tournament and any postseason games is more important.
10. Big West Trio: UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC Santa Barbara
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The conference tournament champion is the only Big West team that will get an NCAA tournament berth, and that berth may be determined by the health of three teams' stars.
Surprising UC Davis is in first place at the moment, but it has played the past three games without Corey Hawkins because of a lower-leg injury. He is fifth in the nation in scoring at 21.3 points per game and leads the nation in three-point shooting at 52.6 percent. He could return any day now, and the Aggies need him to spearhead a team that leads the nation in three-point shooting percentage and has a 19-4 record.
With their ability to shoot the long ball, the Aggies could pose a problem for an NCAA tournament opponent, but only if Hawkins is at full speed.
UC Irvine was the preseason Big West favorite, and the Anteaters could still make it to the NCAA tournament if and when they get guard Alex Young and 7'6" center Mamadou Ndiaye back from foot injuries.
Young, who averages 10.6 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.6 points, has missed the past two games, but he should be back soon, perhaps for the next game.
The prognosis is less certain for Ndiaye, who has missed 17 of the past 19 games, including the last eight in a row. He averaged 3.1 blocks last season and had 21 points and five blocks against Loyola Marymount in his last game this season before the foot problems arose.
Ndiaye is expected to return before the season ends, and he might return within a week. His presence in the middle would make a big difference in a conference tournament and the NCAA Tournament.
UC Santa Barbara center Alan Williams was the 2014 Big West player of the year, and he led the Gauchos in scoring (17.6 points per game) and rebounding (11.6 boards per game) until he suffered a shoulder injury in practice that has kept him out of the past seven games.
The Gauchos have stayed in contention without him, going 5-2 in his absence. However, to win the conference tournament and make some noise in the NCAA tournament, they need Williams on the court. There is no definite date for his return, but it could be soon, at which point the Gauchos could make a run.
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9. Boise State
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Boise State is relatively healthy at the moment, and it needs to stay that way after enduring a number of injuries early in the season.
Forward James Webb III, who is averaging 11.0 points and 7.4 rebounds, was bothered by an early-season injury and did not score his first point until the sixth game. Then senior Anthony Drmic, the team's No. 2 scorer, was lost for the season after just seven games with an ankle injury.
Leading scorer Derrick Marks, who is averaging 20.0 points per game, missed a game with an ankle problem, and Nick Duncan also missed a pair of games in December because of health issues.
The Broncos recently showed what they could do when they are healthy by winning eight straight games, including victories over Colorado State and San Diego State, before losing to Fresno State on Saturday. Boise State bounced back with a road win over UNLV on Wednesday. That run put Boise State (19-7 overall, 9-4 in the Mountain West) back in contention for an at-large NCAA tournament berth.
Although it won't get Drmic back, the Broncos have demonstrated they are capable of winning the conference tournament, provided they stay healthy.
8. Iona
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Iona has a two-game lead in the Metro-Atlantic Athletic Conference and is capable of winning the MAAC tournament and a berth to the NCAA tournament without forward Isaiah Williams. But with Williams, the Gaels would be capable of pulling an upset or two in the NCAA tournament.
Williams has missed 10 games after a broken bone in his foot was discovered. The Gaels are 9-1 in Williams' absence, but four of those wins were by four points or fewer, and a fifth was in overtime. If Iona is struggling to beat MAAC opponents such as Niagara, the Gaels surely cannot compete against the teams it will see in the NCAA tournament.
With Williams, maybe they can.
Williams is a glue guy in Iona's fast-paced attack, but he has put up impressive numbers as well, averaging 14.2 points and 6.4 rebounds. He scored more than 20 points five times this season, including twice in his last three games.
There is no specific timetable for his return, but it could be soon. And the sooner the Gaels can integrate Williams back into the system, the better their postseason prospects will be. The Gaels' race horse style could produce problems for some NCAA tournament opponents, and adding Williams to a team that already has A.J. English and David Laury may produce an upset.
7. William & Mary
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William & Mary entered Wednesday's game against Northeastern tied for first place with UNC Wilmington in the Colonial Athletic Association. But the Tribe's chances of earning its first NCAA tournament berth in school history may rest with the health of guard Daniel Dixon.
Dixon missed his third straight game Wednesday with a hamstring injury, and though he probably will miss a few more games, Dixon is likely to return before the season ends, according to the Daily Press' Dave Fairbank.
The Tribe is 1-2 in Dixon's absence, including a home loss to Delaware, which was 6-18 at the time. Wednesday's loss to Northeastern dropped William & Mary into a three-way tie for second.
William & Mary needs Dixon, because he is a senior with experience who can score and defend. He is the team's third-leading scorer at 11.2 points per game and is one of the conference's top three-point shooters at 45.6 percent. His long arms and quickness also make him a capable defender, especially on the perimeter.
If he is healthy for the conference tournament, William & Mary could win it and finally get to the NCAA tournament. If he is still hobbled, the Tribe becomes a long shot.
6. San Diego State
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San Diego State certainly would like to have a healthy Dwayne Polee II back for its run in the NCAA tournament. And coach Steve Fisher has said there is a possibility Polee could return this season, according to The Coloradoan's Matt L. Stephens.
However, Aztecs officials must be extremely careful before they clear Polee to play after he collapsed on the court during a December 22 game against UC Riverside. Even if he is cleared to play, his minutes probably would be limited.
The Aztecs have performed well in the 15 games Polee has missed, going 12-3 in that span and taking over the top spot in the Mountain West Conference standings. But the Aztecs could use the depth and emotional lift Polee would give them in the postseason if he returns.
Polee has proven to be a clutch performer. He scored 16 points and hit two critical free throws with 14 seconds left in the Aztecs' one-point win over Long Beach State. In the two-point loss to Arizona, Polee scored 10 points in the first seven minutes to stake the Aztecs to an early 16-11 lead.
Polee used his redshirt season after he transferred from St. John's, and he played too many games this season to qualify for a medical redshirt. As result, this will be Polee's final college season whether he plays again or not.
By simply getting on the court in the postseason, Polee may provide an inspirational boost for San Diego State, which certainly plays well enough defensively to compete with anyone but has shortcomings on the offensive end.
5. Georgia
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Georgia has quietly put together a nice season, and despite being just 16-9, the Bulldogs are in position to land an NCAA tournament berth, according to CBSSports.com and ESPN.com.
Their chances of securing that berth and doing some damage in the NCAA tournament would improve if swingman Juwan Parker returns.
Parker was in the starting lineup until an Achilles tendon problem flared up during the January 10 overtime loss to LSU. Parker has played only six minutes in the 11 games since then and not at all in the past nine games.
Parker averages just 5.5 points and 4.0 rebounds, but he is a versatile and important complementary player.
The Bulldogs have struggled without him, losing four of their past six games. Particularly discouraging were the home losses in the last two games against Auburn and South Carolina, both of whom are near the bottom of the Southeastern Conference standings.
Parker is getting better and could return to game action soon, although he is unlikely to be completely healthy again this season. The Bulldogs just hope he can help at some point, perhaps in the NCAA Tournament.
"We have one chance with Juwan, we really have one chance to bring him back and hope we bring him back when he can get through the year," head coach Mark Fox said, according to the Macon Telegraph's Seth Emerson. "What we cannot afford to do with Juwan is bring him back too early and have another month setback."
The Bulldogs would also like to get backup guard Kenny Paul Geno back after he broke his wrist in the January 6 loss to Arkansas. However, his return is not imminent, and he is less important to the team's success than Parker.
4. Stanford
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After beating Washington on January 28, Stanford was 15-5 overall and 6-2 in the Pac-12 and seemed to have a berth in the NCAA tournament in hand.
But the Cardinal has lost four out of five games since then, dropping them onto the bubble. Much of the problem has to do with injuries, and Stanford needs to get those players back to have a shot at the NCAA tournament.
Three players have missed time with injuries, and none of them are completely healthy now. The fact that all three play the same power forward spot complicates the problem.
Freshman Reid Travis was a starter until he missed nine games with a thigh injury that still limits his playing time since his return on January 31. Soon thereafter Grant Verhoeven suffered a hip injury that probably will keep him out the rest of the season.
Rosco Allen had become a formidable offensive force as their replacement in the starting lineup, but he has missed the past two games with a back injury, and nobody knows if and when he will return.
If Allen and Travis get completely healthy soon, the Cardinal are capable of beating just about anyone, as they demonstrated in a road victory over Texas early in the season. Without them, Stanford lacks the frontcourt muscle Travis provides and the outside shooting a stretch 4 like Allen provides.
Guards Chasson Randle and Anthony Brown produce most of the offense for Stanford, but the Cardinal frontcourt does not offer much of threat. Stanford probably needs Allen and Travis available and healthy to get into the NCAA tournament, and it clearly needs them to have any impact in the postseason.
3. Wyoming
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Larry Nance Jr. is expected to return to the Wyoming lineup soon, perhaps as soon as the February 25 game against Fresno State.
The Cowboys must hope he returns sooner rather than later and that he is at full strength when he does return because Wyoming has little chance of getting into the NCAA Tournament without him.
Even though Wyoming is 21-6 overall and in second place in the Mountain West Conference at 10-4, one game behind first-place San Diego State, the Cowboys would not be in the NCAA tournament field today, according to both CBSSports.com and ESPN.com.
The Cowboys need a strong finish to have a shot at a berth and may need to win the conference tournament. They also need Nance.
The 6'8" Nance is the team's leading scorer (16.3 points per game), rebounder (7.2 boards per game) and shot-blocker (1.2 blocks per game), and the Cowboys have not been the same team in the four games Nance has missed since contracting mononucleosis.
Wyoming lost its first game without Nance by 23 points to Air Force, which was 10-12 overall and 3-8 in the conference at the time. Losing at San Diego State in the next game was no surprise, although scoring just 41 points in that 26-point loss was not encouraging.
After getting past a 2-21 San Jose State team in the next game, Wyoming had to struggle to get past a Nevada team that was 4-8 in the conference. The Cowboys scored just 13 points in the first half against the Wolf Pack and trailed by 13 points with less than 13 minutes left before waking up.
With Nance in the lineup, Wyoming has wins over Boise State and Colorado State, two teams in the running for NCAA tournament at-large berths. Nance's return would give the Cowboys a chance to get to the NCAA tournament and possibly make some noise when they get there.
2. Wisconsin
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Wisconsin is 9-0 since point guard Traevon Jackson suffered a broken foot that required surgery.
The day before Penn State's Wednesday loss to the Badgers, Nittany Lions coach Patrick Chambers said, "I think the world of Traevon. But you bring in your backup point guard, and, man, they don't even miss a beat. They're playing at maybe even a higher level than they were."
Indeed, the Badgers seem to be just as good, if not better, with Bronson Koenig as the starting point guard in place of Jackson.
In his nine starts this season before Wednesday (including one when center Frank Kaminsky was sidelined with a concussion), Koenig averaged 12.9 points, 2.3 assists and 2.2 rebounds while making 50 percent of his field-goal attempts and 53.4 percent of his three-pointers.
In 17 starts this season, Jackson is averaging 9.4 points, 2.9 assists and 1.7 rebounds while making 45.6 percent of his shots from the field and 28.6 percent of his three-point attempts.
The numbers favor Koenig, although he showed some vulnerability on Wednesday, when he went 2-of-10 from the field and 0-of-5 on three-pointers against the Nittany Lions.
No return date has been set for Jackson, but he could come back in early March and is expected to be ready for the NCAA tournament. So will Jackson be restored to his starting spot at point guard or will he come off the bench?
That discussion is beside the point, because the Badgers are unquestionably better with Jackson available. Statistics do not reveal Jackson's most important qualities. He is a physical point guard who can bull his way past defenders to get into the lane to create opportunities for himself and teammates. More important is the fact that he is outstanding in close games, often making the big shot or creating the play that leads to a big shot.
Often a Wisconsin opponent seems to be gaining momentum only to see it abruptly halted by a play made by Jackson. Coach Bo Ryan probably would have liked to have had Jackson at his disposal on Wednesday when Penn State closed to within five points with four minutes left.
Wisconsin has had only one close game since Jackson was injured, and that was the overtime victory over Michigan. In that game, Wisconsin had a four-point lead and the ball with 30 seconds left in regulation and could not close it out without an extra period.
When Jackson was forced out of the January 11 game against Rutgers with his injury, the game was tied with about 12 minutes left. Rutgers went on the win the game by five.
Whether Jackson is in the starting lineup or coming off the bench, Wisconsin needs him when things get tight. And things often get tight in the NCAA tournament.
1. Virginia
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Justin Anderson is the only Virginia player who could be a first-round NBA draft choice, as noted by DraftExpress.com and NBADraft.net. Without him, the Cavaliers lose much of what made them the No. 2-ranked team in the country.
Even though Virginia is 3-0 since Anderson broke a finger on his left hand, the difference made by Anderson's absence was made obvious in subsequent games.
When the injury forced Anderson to leave the February 7 game against Louisville with 1:53 left in the first half, the Cavaliers had a comfortable 22-13 lead. Louisville then outscored Virginia, 34-30, for the rest of the game and got within three points with 18 seconds left before Virginia held on for a five-point win.
The Cavaliers then squeaked by North Carolina State, in part because the Wolfpack's Trevor Lacey missed a layup that would have tied the game with seven seconds left.
Then came the close call on the Cavaliers' home court against Wake Forest, a team that is now 4-10 in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Demon Deacons missed a free throw that would have tied it with 17 seconds left, then committed a turnover to ruin an opportunity to attempt a game-winning shot in Virginia's 61-60 victory.
Anderson was not only Virginia's top scorer at the time of the injury, but he is also a defensive stopper. He fit in perfectly with Tony Bennett's defense-based style and provided the offensive weapon the Cavaliers have lacked in the past.
Although there is no definitive prognosis, the Cavaliers hope to get Anderson back before the NCAA tournament, perhaps by the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament. They also hope the injury does not have a lasting effect the shooting touch of the left-handed Anderson, who has made 48.4 percent of his three-pointers this season.
Virginia cannot win the NCAA tournament with defense alone. With Anderson in midseason form, Virginia has the weapon needed to make it a contender for the national championship. Without him, the Cavaliers have little chance and could be eliminated early.
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