INDIANAPOLIS — Two key players in Monday’s men’s title game between Michigan and UConn are nursing injuries sustained in the national semifinals.
Michigan’s Yaxel Lendeborg, the Big Ten player of the year, landed awkwardly on his left foot during a first-half drive and was limited to 14 minutes of action against Arizona. Wolverines coach Dusty May told reporters Sunday afternoon that “all imaging has come back clean” and that Lendeborg will spend the day getting treatment and doing rehab. Michigan trainer Chris Williams said Lendeborg is suffering from a bone bruise. “I’m sure he’ll give it a go tomorrow, but that’ll be entirely up to him and the medical staff,” May said.
Lendeborg said “I feel great!” and gave a big smile as he walked out of Michigan’s locker room Sunday afternoon. He wasn’t limping nearly as much as he was during Saturday’s postgame and assured media he got out of bed Sunday morning without falling down, so “I’m good.” Williams joked that he checked on Lendeborg early Sunday morning and found the 6-foot-9 forward dancing in his room. (Lendeborg disputed this with a playful eye roll.)
Asked directly if he planned to play Monday, Lendeborg didn’t hesitate: “Absolutely.”
UConn guard Solo Ball didn’t sound as confident. Ball, who averages 12.9 points per game, tweaked his left foot early in UConn’s 71-62 semifinal win over Illinois when he got caught in a screen. Ball said he “got through it with adrenaline,” but he showed up to media availability in a boot Sunday. Huskies coach Dan Hurley said Ball wouldn’t practice Sunday, while Ball said he was “leaving it up to the medical staff” when it comes to whether he can play Monday.
“I’m doing everything I can to prepare for tomorrow,” Ball said.
Hurley joked Sunday that he wasn’t sure how likely it was that Ball could get an MRI given that it’s Easter, though a few media members assured him that even on holidays, hospitals stay open. Hurley said he saw Ball in the boot before UConn’s medical staff looped him in, a jarring sight for a coach trying to win his third championship in four years.
“We’ll know more as we get later in the day,” Hurley said of Ball’s status.
UConn’s practice is closed Sunday.
Lendeborg insisted on coming back in the second half, hitting both his 3-point attempts (and avoiding the paint altogether) after returning.
“We were laughing at, he played the second half like a 38-year-old at the YMCA — a really good 38-year-old,” May said, chuckling. “Whatever version of Yaxel we get, it’s going to be somebody that helps us play better basketball.”
UConn guard Silas Demary Jr. is also still less than 100 percent, having sustained a high left ankle sprain in the Huskies’ Big East championship game loss to St. John’s. His ankle has been tender since then, but Demary was mostly dismissive about injury talk, saying with a laugh, “I’m used to it.”
“I’m fine, feeling as fine as I had the whole time,” Demary said. “I know I’m playing.”