Vols’ Lofton has minor leg injury
KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE — Tennessee guard and leading scorer Chris Lofton has a minor leg injury but is expected to play Thursday against Louisville.

Team spokesman Craig Pinkerton says Lofton wore a walking boot on his foot as a precaution while the Vols rested on Monday and was expected to practice on Tuesday.

Coach Bruce Pearl told The Knoxville News Sentinel that Lofton “tweaked” his ankle in the first half of Tennessee’s 76-71 overtime win against Butler in the NCAA tournament.

Lofton leads Tennessee with 15.5 points per game.

Tennessee guard Chris Lofton has minor leg injury, expected to play against Louisville

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee guard and leading scorer Chris Lofton has a minor leg injury but is expected to play Thursday against Louisville in the NCAA tournament.

Lofton was at practice Tuesday but limited his activity to shooting free throws and riding an exercise bicycle. He did not speak to the reporters before leaving.

“(Tuesday) was just an opportunity to give it another day’s rest from a precautionary standpoint,” coach Bruce Pearl said. “The ankle, the heel, the Achilles — it’s all pretty sore. We absolutely anticipate him playing. If we had a game tonight, he would play.”

Lofton hurt his ankle in the first half of Tennessee’s 76-71 overtime win against Butler in the NCAA tournament.

He leads Tennessee with 15.5 points per game.

Before the focus fully shifts to next season, we’re dedicating time to evaluating the 2024-25 men’s college basketball season.

After starting this series with the Big East, we’ve outlined our report card for each of the 18 ACC teams below.

Part of this process is straightforward: A good team that played like a good team will earn a strong grade, and a good team that played like a bad team will not. But it will be complicated for certain teams. Some had championship dreams. Others hoped to win just one game. Either way, we are judging each squad’s season based on preseason expectations while offering grace on a case-by-case basis for any unfortunate midseason events.

Check back each Wednesday in May as we grade the rest of the power conferences with the Big Ten on May 14, Big 12 on May 21 and SEC on May 28. But for now, let’s dive into the ACC.

Note: Teams listed in alphabetical order under each grading tier.