INDIANAPOLIS – There are two major injuries to keep an eye on in Monday’s national championship game.
Two starters, Connecticut shooting guard Solo Ball and Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg, could be severely limited, although neither is on the availability report.
Ball suffered a sprained left foot in Saturday’s win over Illinois and was in a walking boot on Sunday. He didn’t practice. Lendeborg is dealing with a sprained left ankle and sprained MCL ligament and bone bruise in his left knee. Both continued to play after sustaining the injuries in the first half. Lendeborg, Associated Press first-team All-America, received an MRI that came back clean. He was noticeably limited after returning Saturday against Illinois.
“I’m sure he’ll give it a go [Monday] but that will be entirely up to him and the medical staff,” Michigan coach Dusty May said. “He played the second half like a 38-year-old at the YMCA — and a really good 38-year-old at the YMCA.
“Whatever version of Yaxel we get, it’s going to be somebody that helps us play better basketball.”
As for Ball, the junior said, “I’m feeling all right, right now. Just leaving it up to the medical staff.”
The southpaw later added that he’s “still going to play.”
Ball scored 13 points in 28 minutes in the victory over Illinois.
Duke superstar freshman forward Cameron Boozer was named the U.S. Basketball Writers Association and Naismith Player of the Year on Sunday. On Friday, he was announced as the Associated Press Player of the Year.
The projected top three NBA draft pick is the second straight Duke freshman to win all the major honors given to the top player in the country. Cooper Flagg received those awards last season. Boozer averaged 22.5 points, 10.2 rebounds and 4.1 assists in leading the Blue Devils to the Elite Eight.
He suffered multiple fractures around one of his eyes during Duke’s loss to Connecticut. Boozer is opting against surgery thus far.
“I’m just going through the healing process,” he said. “It hurt in the game, but I wish the outcome would have been better, but that’s not really what I’m here to focus on. We had a great year.”
Florida center Rueben Chinyelu was named the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year on Sunday. St. John’s Zuby Ejiofor was a finalist. The Naismith Coach of the Year award went to Arizona’s Tommy Lloyd.
