Dan Hurley Announces Solo Ball Injury Update Ahead of National Championship Game

Hurley provided an update on Ball saying, “Significant update on UConn's Solo Ball. Dan Hurley says he has "some kind of foot sprain" and will not practice today. He's in a boot. Will be something to monitor for tomorrow night.”

Will Uconn Be Without Solo Ball in the Finals Tomorrow?

What seemed like a minor issue during UConn’s win over Illinois suddenly looks a lot more serious a day later. Solo Ball was seen in a walking boot on Sunday and did not take part in practice, leaving his availability for the national championship game very much up in the air.

The injury apparently happened in the first half against Illinois when Ball got tangled up with teammate Tarris Reed Jr. on a screen. At the time, Ball stayed in the game and kept contributing, which is why it did not immediately look like a major concern. He still hit big shots, played important minutes, and even had a fast-break dunk in the second half.

After the game, though, the pain clearly got worse. Ball said he got treatment at halftime, had his foot taped up, tightened his shoes, and tried to push through it on adrenaline alone. Since then, he has been focused entirely on rehab and recovery.

For UConn, this is a huge storyline heading into Monday night. Ball is one of the team’s most important scorers and perimeter threats, and losing him would put even more pressure on players like Malachi Smith, Jayden Ross, and Braylon Mullins to step up offensively.