Injury Questions Linger Ahead of UConn-UCLA Heavyweight Clash

Teams always want to be playing their best basketball of the season during the NCAA Tournament.

Unfortunately, when late-season injuries pop up, it’s hard for teams to be at full strength. Ahead of Sunday’s Round of 32 clash in the East Region between the UConn Huskies and the UCLA Bruins, both teams are dealing with injury questions that could impact their chances of advancing to the Sweet 16.

We share the latest odds to win the NCAA Tournament here.

Are Huskies in Trouble?

The No. 2-seeded Huskies got a stiff test from No. 15 Furman in the First Round, in part because they played without starting point guard Silas Demary Jr. and forward Jaylin Stewart. The loss of Demary was obviously more impactful. He’s been the leader of the UConn offense all season, averaging 6.2 assists per game, with nobody else on the team tallying more than 2.8 assists per game. He’s also one of five Huskies who average at least 10 points per game.

Demary hurt his ankle in UConn’s loss to St. John’s in the Big East Tournament championship game. He had played all 35 games of the season before Friday’s win over Furman. His absence was felt on Friday, as Malachi Smith had to play a much bigger role, ultimately contributing four points and seven assists in 32 minutes of action, the most playing time he’s had all season.

Stewart’s absence was less notable, as he only averages 4.5 points and 2.8 rebounds per game. The UConn frontcourt was fine without him, with Tarris Reed taking over the game by scoring 31 points and racking up 27 rebounds. Alex Karaban also chipped in 22 points to lead the Huskies over Furman. Plus, Stewart hasn’t played since February 21, so the Huskies have adjusted to not having him. Nevertheless, UConn’s depth and bench contributions are lacking with both Demary and Stewart unavailable.

The silver lining for the Huskies is that coach Dan Hurley left the door open for both players to return for Sunday’s game with UCLA. He indicated after the game that Demary was close to playing on Friday, saying, “We’ll see how it goes” about both him and Stewart.

An Underdog with Injuries

The No. 7-seeded Bruins are the clear underdog against the Huskies on Sunday. It doesn’t help matters that Mick Cronin’s team could be without its top scorer, forward Tyler Bilodeau. The senior is UCLA’s leading scorer, averaging 17.6 points per game. He suffered a knee injury during the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals. The Bruins managed to upset Michigan State in that game despite Bilodeau only playing 10 minutes and scoring five points. But they lost in the semifinals to Purdue without Bilodeau present.

Of course, the Bruins found a way to get past UCF Friday night, 75-71, without Bilodeau in the lineup. Xavier Booker has stepped up with Bilodeau out of the lineup. He scored 12 points in the loss to Purdue and contributed 15 points in Friday’s win over UCF despite averaging just 7.2 points per game on the season. However, beating UConn without their leading scorer figures to be a far more challenging task for the Bruins than surviving a close game with UCF.

Ahead of the tournament, Bilodeau appeared optimistic that he would be able to play. The day before UCLA’s game against UCF, he told reporters, “This is March Madness, so you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do.” Yet, he was held out of the team’s first-round game. The silver lining for the Bruins is that starting point guard Donovan Dent, who had to leave the loss to Purdue in the Big Ten Tournament because of a calf injury, played all 40 minutes on Friday and isn’t an injury concern for Sunday. On the other hand, the same can’t be said of Bilodeau.

Heavyweight Matchup

On paper, Sunday’s UCLA vs UConn game is one of the best on the schedule. It pits together two of the most successful programs in college basketball history. The Bruins have won a record 11 national championships, while the Huskies have won six titles in the last 30 years, including back-to-back championships in 2023 and 2024.

As the higher seed, UConn is the favorite on Sunday, with Caesars Sportsbook currently listing them as a five-point favorite. I would lean toward the Huskies winning by a comfortable enough margin to cover the spread.

However, the status of Demary, Stewart, and Bilodeau will likely play a big role in which team advances to the Sweet 16.

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