Solo Ball tweaked his left foot early in UConn’s 71-62 semifinal win over Illinois, and the Huskies guard showed up to Sunday’s media availability in Indianapolis wearing a boot. UConn coach Dan Hurley said Ball would not practice, leaving his status unsettled less than 24 hours before Monday’s national championship game against Michigan.
Ball said he got through the injury on adrenaline in the semifinal and is now waiting on the medical staff before knowing whether he can play. “I’m doing everything I can to prepare for tomorrow,” he said. Ball averages 12.9 points per game and is one of the players UConn would lean on most if it is to chase a third championship in four years.
Hurley did not offer much certainty about the guard’s availability. “We’ll know more as we get later in the day,” he said, a measured update that underscored how close to game time the decision remains. Ball’s foot issue came early in the Illinois game when he got caught in a screen, and UConn has had to manage that concern while turning its focus to the biggest night of the season.
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The Huskies are not the only team heading into Monday with an injury cloud. Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg landed awkwardly on his left foot during a first-half drive against Arizona, though coach Dusty May said all imaging had come back clean and trainer Chris Williams said Lendeborg is dealing with a bone bruise. Lendeborg said he planned to play Monday, answering “Absolutely” when asked.
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UConn guard Silas Demary Jr. is also less than 100 percent after a high left ankle sprain in the Big East championship game loss to St. John’s, but he brushed off the concern on Sunday. “I’m fine, feeling as fine as I had the whole time,” he said, adding, “I’m used to it” and, “I know I’m playing.” With both teams carrying bruises into Indianapolis, Monday’s title game may turn as much on pain tolerance as on tactics.
