Warrior Joel Berry II played with two sprained ankles, and now UNC is Final Four bound

MEMPHIS — Joel Berry II was playing on two bad ankles.

The North Carolina point guard sprained his left ankle early in the first half Sunday, and coach Roy Williams revealed after the game that Berry had aggravated his injured right ankle in Saturday’s practice. Berry sprained his right ankle in the first round, but played against Arkansas and declared himself to be “close to 100%” before the Sweet 16.

“To play 33 minutes with that toughness,” Williams said after North Carolina held off Kentucky 75-73 to reach the Final Four.  “…He’s a little tough nut.”

Berry will have just a few days to rest and get treatment. Carolina plays Oregon on Saturday night in the national semifinals.

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Berry was driving in the first half when he rolled the left ankle. Wincing as he walked gingerly to the bench, he was evaluated briefly by a trainer before they went to the locker room. But he was there for only a few minutes before he ran back out to the court and went immediately to the scorer’s table to check back in.

Less than 30 seconds later, he scored on a driving layup.

“If (trainer) Doug (Halverson) had said, `He’s done,’ he was going to be done. But I didn’t think Joel was going to let that happen,” Williams said. “Doug came back and said he’s OK and that he wanted to try it. I watched him as closely as I could possibly watch, and it looked like he was moving OK.”

Berry finished with 11 points, but was 4 of 12. That’s because he couldn’t plant his feet and push off, Williams said.

“Even when we got on the court and they were jumping around and then when they were doing the alma mater and everybody was stomping their feet, the two of us were standing beside each other,” Williams said. “I said, `I’m not stomping.’ He said, `I’m not either.’ He’s got two bad ankles, I’ve got two bad knees.”

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