UNC Basketball: The latest on Joel Berry injury, status for Kentucky game
Tar Heels need all hands on deck for Kentucky, but will they be without Berry?
Since suffering a sprained left ankle in a win over Radford, junior point guard Joel Berry II hasn’t been on the floor for the Tar Heels. He’s missed games against Davidson and Tennessee, both of which the Tar Heels won.
His absence, though, has been noticeable.
In a victory over Davidson last week, UNC struggled to close the game out, allowing the pesky Wildcats back into it with time winding down in the second half. Although they were able to hold off the late surge, one has to imagine that having their veteran starting point guard in the lineup would have made for a smoother ending.
Dec 7, 2016; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guards Theo Pinson (left) and Joel Berry II watch their team during the first half against the Davidson Wildcats at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports
And again against Tennessee on Sunday, UNC struggled. This time, from the start of the game. The Tar Heels trailed for most of the afternoon, but mounted a comeback that was capped off in the late stages of the game. UNC won by just two points and again, showed vulnerability without their closer.
That may not be the case on Saturday against No. 6 Kentucky if UNC doesn’t have its best player in the lineup. Throw in the absence of would-be starter Theo Pinson and the Tar Heels are at a seemingly decided disadvantage.
“Obviously it shows that he’s a big part of our team,” junior forward Justin Jackson said of the wobbly performances without Berry. “For us, I think it was good to see us pull out that (Tennessee) game with even some guys playing not necessarily very good. But it definitely shows how big of a part that he is to this team.”
On Thursday afternoon, North Carolina head coach Roy Williams said that he was unsure if Berry would play on Saturday against Kentucky.
“I am not optimistic at all, but I’m not pessimistic either,” Williams said. “I haven’t seen him. I have no opinion.”
Williams also noted that he would use Thursday’s practice as a barometer to determine the likelihood of Berry participating in the team’s showdown with Kentucky.
“He’s on the practice plan today,” Williams said. “He’s not out, he is limited.”
Just two days prior to the Tar Heels’ biggest non-conference matchup of the season, no one knows if their most important player will even be on the court.
Check back with Keeping It Heel for more on the Berry injury as we get closer to Saturday’s game against the sixth-ranked Wildcats.
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