Michigan-UConn injuries: Solo Ball in walking boot, Yaxel Lendeborg planning to play

AlabamaArizonaArkansasDukeFloridaGonzagaHoustonIllinoisIowa StateKansasLouisvilleMiami (FL)Michigan StateMichiganNebraskaNorth CarolinaPurdueSaint Mary'sSt. John'sTennesseeTexas TechUConnVanderbiltVirginiaWisconsinStandingsBeat Our Expert's BracketTournament ProjectionsMen's Final Lendeborg returned to the game with a brace on his left knee after halftime as the Wolverines coasted past Arizona. Michael Reaves / Getty Images Share full articleINDIANAPOLIS — It’s the final two days of the college basketball season, and that old adage about not being fully healthy as soon as the ball is tipped for the season feels particularly true at this year’s Final Four, as three of the most important players in Monday’s men’s title game are nursing semi-significant injuries. Michigan’s Yaxel Lendeborg, the Big Ten player of the year, has a sprained left ankle and MCL and has been limping around since midway through the first half of Saturday’s semifinal win over Arizona. He said after Saturday’s game he planned to play Monday unless he couldn’t walk when he woke up Sunday. UConn guard Solo Ball didn’t sound as confident Sunday afternoon. 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. 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. “I’m fine, feeling as fine as I had the whole time,” Demary said. “I know I’m playing.” Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Lindsay Schnell is a senior writer for The Athletic covering college sports. Before joining The Athletic she spent a decade as a national colleges writer, working previously at USA TODAY, Sports Illustrated and The Oregonian. She is a graduate of Oregon State University. Follow Lindsay on Twitter @Lindsay_Schnell