Final Four: Update on UNC point guard Joel Berry’s ankle
By Zack Pearson
Every UNC fan will keep an eye on Joel Berry’s injured ankles ahead of Saturday’s Final Four against Oregon
The North Carolina Tar Heels are prepping for the Final Four in Phoenix where they will take on the Oregon Ducks on Saturday.
UNC got their in dramatic fashion by beating the Kentucky Wildcats on Luke Maye’s game-winning shot with just .3 seconds left.
It gave UNC their 20th Final Four in program history, the most by any school.
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As we get ready for Saturday’s game, there is a big question mark surrounding the status of junior point guard Joel Berry II.
Berry rolled ankle against Texas Southern in the first round and didn’t look like his normal self.
Then against Arkansas, Berry sprained his right ankle.
Head coach Roy Williams then revealed that Berry actually re-sprained his ankle during Saturday’s practice before the Kentucky game.
RW reveals Joel Berry resprained his right ankle in practice yesterday. That was before spraining the left ankle today.
— Jones Angell (@JonesAngell) March 27, 2017
During the Kentucky game, Berry injured his left ankle and had to go back to the locker room missing a few minutes of the game.
He returned and helped lead UNC to the win.
But now the big question remains: What’s the status of Berry’s ankle for Saturday? Well, Williams doesn’t know the status just yet but there’s some worry.
“Right now I’m scared to death because I just don’t know,” Williams said via The Daily Press.
Williams also said that Berry went through a full day of rehab on Monday and hopefully Berry can start practicing again on Thursday or Friday. UNC will fly to Phoenix on Tuesday.
The good news for the Tar Heels is that Berry will have almost a full week to rest and get back to full strength if he can.
“It’s giving me a lot of pain right now,” Berry told the Raleigh News & Observer on Sunday. “But it’s all worth it, and I get a whole week to do rehab where last week I only had a short amount of time.”
For UNC, the hope is that Berry can be back to full strength and practice this week. The junior is averaging 14.6 points, 3.1 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game for the Tar Heels this season.
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He’s struggled in the tournament as the ankle(s) have clearly bothered him. But with two possible games left, it’s all on the line.
The Tar Heels will tipoff with Oregon following the Gonzaga/South Carolina game on Saturday.