Updated March 27, 2026, 9:52 p.m. ET
CHICAGO — It’s been more than a quarter century since Iowa State basketball last reached an Elite Eight.
Will that change tonight?
The No. 2 Cyclones face No. 6 Tennessee in Friday night’s Sweet 16 at the United Center with a chance to reach its first Elite Eight since 2000.
Tennessee, on the other hand, is looking for its third straight trip to the Elite Eight — though the Volunteers have never reached a Final Four.
Iowa State All-American Joshua Jefferson will not play. He was injured early in the Cyclones’ first round win over Tennessee State and didn’t play against Kentucky in the second round.
Tennessee’s freshman star Nate Ament was limited in the Volunteers’ first round win as he recovers from his own injury, but played 29 minutes in the Vols’ second round upset of Virginia.
But while those frontcourt stars may have the pregame spotlight, the matchup in the backcourt will likely decide tonight’s game.
Iowa State’s Tamin Lipsey and Tennessee’s Ja’Kobi Gillespie are two of the top point guards in the country, and they’re both coming off of standout performances. Lipsey had a career-high 26 points, with 10 assists to round out a double-double effort against Kentucky. Gillespie just had his third straight 20-point game of the postseason.
The winner of tonight’s game advances to Sunday’s Elite Eight, where it will play the winner of Michigan vs. Alabama.
Here’s what you need to know for tonight’s Tennessee vs. Iowa State Sweet 16 game, including predictions and how to watch.
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Tennessee vs Iowa State live score
| TEAMS | 1H | 2H | F |
| Tennessee | — | — | — |
| Iowa State | — | — | — |
What time is Iowa State vs Tennessee?
- Time: 10:20 p.m. ET, Friday, March 27.
What channel is Iowa State vs Tennessee? How to watch, streaming info
- The game is airing on TBS/truTV, streaming via Fubo.
Iowa State vs Tennessee prediction, odds
∎ Eugene Rapay, Des Moines Register: Iowa State 74, Tennessee 68
With or without Joshua Jefferson, Iowa State still has the pieces and tools to win. Jefferson’s absence may create for a more uphill battle in the paint or on the glass, but the Cyclones’ level of defensive disruption has only risen since the postseason tipped off. Creating turnovers will be the key, and Iowa State has already shown that it can weather cold-shooting stretches or adverse situations when it doubles down on defense. The Cyclones will need to do the same here.
∎ Wynton Jackson, Knoxville News Sentinel: Iowa State 68, Tennessee 64
Iowa State put together a complete performance against a team Tennessee crumbled against twice. The Cyclones showed their top-15 ranked defense with intense ball pressure on Kentucky, keeping the Wildcats out of the paint and draining the shot clock out on the perimeter.
Iowa State also forced 20 turnovers in the win, which has been a concern for Tennessee all season. The Vols committed 16 turnovers against Miami (Ohio), and another 10 against Virginia.
Kentucky kept pace with the Cyclones in the rebounding battle, which could lean more heavily in Tennessee’s favor if Jefferson is out.
It is hard, though, to continue banking on elite shooting numbers from the Vols, especially against one of the top defenses in the country. Tennessee also made a number of errors down the stretch that Virginia couldn’t capitalize on. Iowa State won’t give them the same grace.
- Blake Toppmeyer: Tennessee
- Paul Myerberg: Iowa State
- Jordan Mendoza: Iowa State
- John Brice: Iowa State
- Matt Glenesk: Tennessee
- Craig Meyer: Tennessee
- John Leuzzi: Iowa State
- Austin Curtright: Iowa State
- Ehsan Kassim: Tennessee
- Moneyline: Iowa State (-190); Tennessee (+154)
- Spread: Iowa State (-3.5)
- Over/under total: 139.5
Joshua Jefferson injury update: Will Iowa State star play tonight vs Tennessee
Cyclones coach T.J. Otzelberger told reporters in Chicago on Wednesday, March 25 that Iowa State forward Joshua Jefferson has seen “pretty significant progress” with his recovery from an ankle injury and that he is a game-time decision for Friday’s Sweet 16 game against 2-seed Tennessee.
Jefferson sustained an ankle injury in the opening minutes of the first round of March Madness, and has been sidelined since, including being ruled out in the second round against Kentucky.
Jefferson was present at practice and had shed the boot on his ankle on Thursday at the United Center in Chicago.
In the 15 minutes the Cyclones practice was open to the media, Jefferson was observed taking practice shots in the first few minutes before spending the majority of the session dribbling near halfcourt and talking to coaches.
ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported an hour before tip that Jefferson would NOT play Friday night.
What did TJ Otzelberger say about UNC basketball coach opening?
Ahead of his team’s Sweet 16 game against No. 6 seed Tennessee on Friday, March 27, Iowa State coach T.J. Otzelberger started his media availability in Chicago by addressing his name being tied to other job openings.
He did not directly mention North Carolina. Here’s what he said:
“Any speculation with me and any other jobs or opportunities is not true,” Otzelberger said on March 25.
Nate Ament injury update: How much will Vols star play vs Iowa State?
The All-SEC freshman is still dealing with soreness. He played 29 minutes in the Vols’ second round win over Virginia, scoring 16 points.
“There’s no chance I’d sit out a March Madness game,” he said prior to the UVA game. “It’s about what can we do to get back to 100%, or as close to it as we can.”
Tennessee coach Rick Barnes called the injury a “problem,” and Ament won’t be fully healthy until he gets time off at the end of the season.
“We need Nate. He knows it, but he will give us everything that he can, and that’s really all I can say about it. If it’s up to him, he would play every minute if he could,” Barnes said.
Rick Barnes March Madness record
Barnes is 37-25 in his career in the NCAA Tournament and led Texas to the 2003 Final Four.
Nate Ament 2026 NBA Draft, mock draft prediction
No. 11 overall to Portland Trail Blazers.
Kalbrosky’s Analysis:
After a relatively slow and inefficient start to the season, Tennessee freshman Nate Ament is starting to realize some of his lofty expectations. The freshman averaged 21.6 points per game while shooting 38.9 percent on 3-pointers during a 13-game stretch before an injury against Alabama on Feb. 28. The All-SEC forward then had 27 points (4-of-6 on 3-pointers) with eight rebounds, four assists, three blocks and a steal against Auburn on March 12. It will only take one team to fall in love with Ament and given so much of what he brings to the table cannot be taught, that team is probably picking fairly early in the lottery.
See USA TODAY’s full mock draft here
Nate Ament stats
(all stats as of March 15)
- 17.5 points per game
- 6.6 rebounds per game
- 2.5 assists per game
- 40.5% field goal percentage
- 33.1% three-point field goal percentage