Solo Ball Sidelined With Foot Sprain Before NCAA Title Game
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- Solo Ball is in a walking boot with a foot sprain and will not practice Sunday, with coach Dan Hurley saying he "couldn't tell" whether Ball will play in Monday's NCAA title game against Michigan.
- Ball played 16 minutes after suffering the injury in the first half of UConn's 71-62 Final Four win over Illinois, finishing with 13 points on 3-of-7 shooting from three-point range, and said the injury happened when he got tangled with teammate Tarris Reed Jr. on a screen.
- Ball noted that his authoritative fast-break dunk — which pushed UConn's lead to eight with nearly four minutes left — came after the injury, and he declared his "adrenaline is through the roof" heading into the title game.
- UConn lists Ball as their third-leading scorer at 12.9 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game, with the junior having started all 38 games this season as a second-team All-Big East selection.
- UConn is a 6.5-point underdog against Michigan, and if Ball can't go, senior guard Malachi Smith and junior wing Jayden Ross would absorb increased minutes for the Huskies.
- Point guard Silas Demary Jr. is close to full strength from a high ankle sprain suffered in the Big East tournament final, saying he's "feeling fine" and giving UConn a backcourt boost regardless of Ball's status.
Why it matters: Ball is UConn's third-leading scorer and a starter in all 38 games this season, so his potential absence Monday would force Malachi Smith and Jayden Ross into expanded roles as 6.5-point underdogs against Michigan. The fact that Ball already played 16 productive minutes — including a clutch dunk — after the injury and is publicly saying "pain is temporary" makes a gut-it-out performance the most likely outcome, though the walking boot keeps it a genuine game-time decision.
