Solo Ball, Lendeborg battling injuries ahead of UConn, Michigan title game

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — UConn starting guard Solo Ball won't practice Sunday because of a sprained foot as the Huskies prepare to face Michigan in Monday's NCAA championship game.

Coach Dan Hurley said the 6-foot-4 junior was wearing a boot after playing 28 minutes in Saturday's 71-62 win against Illinois in the Final Four. Ball scored 10 of his 13 points after halftime as the Huskies (34-5) advanced to their third national championship game in four years.

Ball started all 38 games he's played, averaging 12.9 points. He said he suffered the injury in the first half Saturday and relied on adrenaline to play through it. Hurley wouldn't say whether Ball would play Monday night against Midwest Region champion Michigan (36-3).

The Wolverines' big question is the status of All-American forward Yaxel Lendeborg, who injured his left ankle and wore a protective brace covering his left knee in the second half of Saturday's 91-73 rout of Arizona. He played five minutes in the first half before re-injuring his left ankle. Team officials later announced he had hurt his knee as well.

But Lendeborg returned in the second half and made two key 3-pointers to propel the Wolverines to their first title game since 2018.

“Absolutely not,” Lendeborg said when asked whether he would miss Monday's night game. “Unless I wake up and I get up and fall off my feet, I’m going to be in that game.”

Michigan coach Dusty May was expected to take questions later Sunday.

The Wolverines have lost four consecutive championship games since beating Seton Hall in overtime in 1989 for the school's only national title.

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AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness