Huge NCAA Tournament injury update might have just helped pick Cinderella for you

The Iowa State Cyclones will be without star guard Keshon Gilbert going forward, according to head coach T.J. Otzelberger.

That sucks! Gilbert is a blast to watch and plays a pretty huge role in Iowa State's offense and defense. The Cyclones are an entirely different team when he's not on the court — when he plays, Iowa State looks more like a one-seed. When he doesn't, they look vulnerable.

Curtis Jones, Tamin Lipsey, Joshua Jefferson and the rest of the Cyclones are talented enough to win some games in March, but without their point guard, this team's ceiling is lowered pretty considerably.

Lipscomb will become an appealing upset pick

Enter, Lipscomb. The Bisons enter the NCAA Tournament as winners of the ASUN Tournament, and although they will still be massive underdogs against a shorthanded ISU team, Gilbert's absence will convince plenty of folks that the Bison will be slipper shopping next week.

This is Lipscomb's second NCAA Tournament appearance ever, and its first since 2018. The Bison aren't flashy and will try to pull Iowa State down to their pace during the first round matchup.

Should you actually pick Lipscomb after Gilbert's injury?

I am not going to police your bracket. You pick whomever you want. Get crazy. Pick a few 16 seeds. This is why March is fun.

While I do think Iowa State will bow out before the Final 4 — which is very sad, considering how good this team is when fully healthy — I don't think an injury to Gilbert moves the needle too much in the first round. There's still enough firepower to go around for the Cyclones, and I don't think Lipscomb has quite enough answers for an ISU team that, even when hurt, is competitive in the Big 12.

But still — if you're looking for an upset pick, you can do worse than a 25-9 conference champion playing against a team that has been ravaged by injuries all season long.