UConn starter injured ahead of championship game vs. Michigan
· Yahoo Sports
Indianapolis — UConn could be without one of its starters for Monday's national championship game against Michigan.
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Solo Ball, who has started all but one game for UConn this season, sprained his foot in a Final Four win over Illinois and arrived to Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday in a walking boot. Asked if Ball might play in Monday's title game, Hurley said he didn't know.
"He's in a boot, took some type of a foot sprain, so won't participate in anything today and see how he's feeling tomorrow," Hurley said.
Ball is averaging 12.9 points per game and had a trio of 3s versus the Illini, playing through the injury he suffered early in the game. Ball said that it happened on a collision with former UM star Tarris Reed Jr., who is the starting center for UConn.
"It happened in the first half. I think my foot got caught with T. Reed with the screen and it kind of just happened," said Ball, who also injured his wrist earlier in the season and missed a game because of it. "But I'm feeling all right right now. Just leaving it up to the medical staff. I'm doing everything I can to prepare for tomorrow."
Hurley joked about the difficulty of finding an MRI on Easter Sunday, though hospitals are open on holidays. He actually found out about Ball's injury by seeing Ball in a boot before anyone had told him.
"We met before we broke to go to sleep, and he just looked at me in the front row like 'oh, he's got a boot on,'" Ball said, smiling. "... I told him what you see now is not what you're gonna see in a day and a half."
Even in pain, Ball said he doesn't want to miss the championship game he played a whole season to get to.
"Pain is temporary. Like people say, it pushes you through your toughest of moments," Ball said. "So, I mean, it's only what you're made of. I mean, if you're gonna go through the game, this is the championship game. Like, my pride is in the way of all that. Like, I don't want to miss the championship game, to be honest."
Michigan is dealing with its own injury woes, with star forward Yaxel Lendeborg limited by a sprained MCL and injured ankle after taking a spill on a dunk attempt with 8:51 to play in the first half of a Final Four win over Arizona. He repeatedly said he plans to play Monday, though he may be in a limited capacity as evidenced by his limp as he returned after halftime with a brace on his left knee and a limp in his gait.
“Unless I wake up and I get up and fall off my feet, I’m gonna be in that game,” Lendeborg said Saturday.
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This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Solo Ball injury update: UConn guard injured ahead of game vs. Michigan