Creighton vs. Louisville basketball Injury report and predictions, March 20: Latest on Pop Isaacs, Fedor Zugic and more

Creighton and Louisville clash in Thursday's first round of March Madness 2025 at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky. Tip-off is set for 12:30 p.m. ET and CBS will broadcast the game live on television.

The Bluejays (24-10) and Cardinals (27-7) were bracketed in the South Region after having strong stints in the 2024-25 college basketball season.

Creighton finished second in the Big East regular season and fell to St. John's in the conference tournament finale. However, the Bluejays' performance during the season was enough to gain an at-large bid in the NCAA Tournament, giving them the No. 9 seed in the South Region.

Meanwhile, Louisville reawakened after the Cardinals replaced coach Kenny Payne with former Winthrop and Charleston bench tactician Pat Kelsey. Kelsey led Louisville to joint second in the ACC regular season and was a finalist in the ACC Tournament, losing to Duke.

The Cardinals are a No. 8 seed in the South, good enough to face Creighton in the first round.

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Creighton vs. Louisville basketball injury report

Creighton injury report

Pop Isaacs, guard (hip) — Out for the season

Texas Tech transfer Pop Isaacs had a great 2024-25 season cut short by a season-ending hip injury. In eight games, the 6-foot-2 junior averaged 16.3 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game.

The development elevated Steven Ashworth to be the lead playmaker for the Greg McDermott-coached team. Ashworth excelled, and his dreaded pick-and-roll play with center Ryan Kalkbrenner was a sight to behold, causing headaches to rival programs.

Fedor Zugic, guard/forward (ankle) — probable

Montenegrin guard/forward Fedor Zugic has played quality minutes for Creighton in his first season. The 6-foot-6 Zugic has averaged an efficient 4.3 ppg and 1.7 rpg in 11.5 minutes of action for the Bluejays. He has shot 45.8%, including a decent 35.1% clip from the 3-point line.

He sustained an ankle injury in the first half of the Big East Tournament final against St. John's. He was sent to the locker room for immediate assistance and is listed as probable to play in Creighton's first-round game against Louisville.

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Louisville injury report

Reyne Smith - guard (ankle) - healthy

Louisville will have one of its dreaded guard combos playing for the first round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament after Reyne Smith suffered an ankle injury on Mar. 5. Cardinals coach Pat Kelsey said the 6-foot-2 guard will play on Thursday against Creighton, completing the Louisville "four aces" lineup that has piloted the major turnaround.

Smith has averaged 13.4 ppg and 2.8 rpg in 30 games, including 106 3-pointers made during the season.

Kasean Pryor - forward (knee) - out

Kasean Pryor had a promising season in Louisville cut short when he tore his ACL in the Cardinals' game against Oklahoma. He had surgery to repair the tear and is undergoing rehabilitation with the hopes of returning next season.

Before the injury, the 6-foot-10 South Florida transfer tallied 12.0 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 2.1 apg, 1.6 spg and 1.1 bpg.

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Creighton vs. Louisville prediction

The fourth meeting of Louisville and Creighton in history comes at a perfect moment as both teams are at the top of their games. The Cardinals and Bluejays came in second in their respective conferences and will try to prove that they are capable of pulling off surprises in this year's March Madness.

The matchup is intriguing due to their opposing styles. Louisville relies on its guard-heavy lineup that puts a premium on speed while Creighton thrives on its halfcourt set, anchored on big man Ryan Kalkbrenner.

The Bluejays and Cardinals have proven their resiliency throughout the season, with both teams losing key players to season-ending injuries. The game will depend on which team will dictate the tempo early. If Creighton imposes its will on the inside, Louisville will have a long night trying to stop Ryan Kalkbrenner.

On the other hand, if the Cardinals speed up the pace to negate Kalkbrenner's size advantage, they would have a great chance of winning the first-round clash.

Prediction: Louisville 77, Creighton 74