North Carolina starting point guard Joel Berry II will be in action on Monday night when the Tar Heels take on Gonzaga for the national championship, but he’ll be fighting through some pain as he continues to deal with lingering injuries.
Berry has twisted both ankles during the NCAA Tournament, first against Texas Southern and then another ankle twist against Kentucky in the Elite Eight. Despite Roy Williams’ fear that he might miss the team’s Final Four game against Oregon, Berry played 35 hobbled minutes, going 2-of-14 from the floor against the Ducks in a one-point win on Saturday.
“I’ve been in pain ever since I twisted my right ankle,” Berry II told NBC Sports. “I did my left one and I’ve been in pain ever since. At this point, I can’t think about it. I just have to continue to play.
“Sometimes, it limits me and my movement but other times, I get lost in the game to where I don’t even realize the pain. [Today] is the last game of the season so I have to give it my all regardless of what pain I’m going through. There’s no tomorrow. I can rest on Tuesday.”
Berry has clearly been hampered by the injury, with his overall production down across the board. He was held out of practice on Sunday as an attempt to give him rest and allow him to rehab. But even with the nagging injuries, Roy Williams has not had any type of minutes restriction for Berry in the tournament.
With one game left on the schedule for the title, don’t expect him to be limited against Gonzaga.
“If there’s pain, just try to fight through it, and I’ve been doing that,” Berry told Sporting News.
Gonzaga and North Carolina tip on Monday evening at 9:20 p.m. ET on CBS.
