Is Xavier Johnson playing today vs Penn State? Indiana guard's status explored ahead of Nittany Lions matchup

Senior guard Xavier Johnson has been one of the more consistent players for the Indiana Hoosiers, but he left Tuesday's game with an elbow injury and did not return to the court. Will he be able to play in today's matchup against the Penn State Nittany Lions? Let's take a look at the most recent updates and see if he will be cleared to return today.

Is Xavier Johnson playing today vs. Penn State?

Late in the second half against the Iowa Hawkeyes, Xavier Johnson went for a dunk but landed hard on his left elbow. He was helped off the court and immediately taken into the locker room.

The Hoosiers overcame injury setbacks to beat the Hawkeyes 74-68 for a Big Ten victory at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.

Coach Mike Woodson was asked on Friday about the status of both Xavier Johnson and Malik Reneau, and he did not sound 100% confident that either will be on the floor today against Penn State.

"Right now, we're still evaluating them," Woodson said. "I'll know more today when I get to practice. I spoke to [athletic trainer] Tim (Garl) this morning and just a this point, I don't know. I really don't. Both went down (against Iowa) - it was X's elbow ... So they didn't do anything yesterday (in practice), so we'll see if they're on the floor to do something today."

While there has not been a definitive answer on his status outside of the questionable tag on the injury report, he will likely be ruled out for this game.

The Nittany Lions (10-11, 4-6 Big Ten) versus the Hoosiers (13-8, 5-5) will tipoff at noon ET.

Xavier Johnson NBA draft projection

Xavier Johnson is in his sixth college basketball season and has been unable to get on many scouts' radars. The best chance of getting drafted in the 2024 NBA draft would be if he can be a late second-round selection, but the expectation is that Johnson would be an undrafted free agent after the draft.

This season, he has played in 14 games, averaging 8.3 points, 2.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 0.9 steals in 24.9 minutes per game. He is shooting decently well, going 40.7% from the floor and 34.8% from beyond the arc.

There is still time for him to climb the draft boards, but his age and performances indicate he will be an undrafted free agent after the draft concludes.

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