NCAA Tournament Teams Hit Hard by Injuries

0:00On March 18th, injuries are hitting NCAA tournament teams harder than ever this year. Over the last 20 tournaments, just six players averaging 18 or more points per game missed their first round opener. This week alone, four will sit out. Louisville's Mikel Brown Jr. with a back issue, BYU's Richie Saunders after knee injury, Texas Tex, JT. Top in with a season ending knee problem, and North Carolina's Caleb Wilson due to a broken thumb. Luke faces a double whammy too. As Big Man Patrick and Gongba nurses a foot injury in point guard, Caleb Foster recovers from a broken foot, potentially, out for weeks. These losses come right as Top C's Chase final four runs, forcing coaches to shuffle lineups in lean on freshmen or backups. Fans and analysts see lowered ceilings for these squads. Louisville might lean more on shooters without Brown's playmaking, while Texas Tech Bombs threes at a crazy rate to compensate for Topin's absence. BYU's offense now funnels everything through two stars, and North Carolina loses its hustle

1:05engine against tough early matchups like VCU. Other updates include Alabama Missing Second Leading Score, Aiden Holloway after felony drug charges, and Michigan without backup point L.J. Kason do. To an ACL tier. Some good news though, Wisconsin's Nolan Winter should return from an ankle tweak and U.C.L.A. expects Donovan Dent and Tyler Bilado back from strains. As the Big Dance tips off Thursday, keep an eye on how these battered teams adapt. Their tournament pass just got a lot steeper.