Joel Berry breaks hand, likely to miss start of season

ByJEFF GOODMAN
October 23, 2017, 1:08 PM

— -- North Carolina senior point guard Joel Berry II broke a bone in his right hand and will likely miss the start of the regular season.

The school announced Berry will miss about four weeks but did not disclose how he suffered the injury.

Berry averaged 14.7 points and 3.6 assists last season and was the Final Four's Most Outstanding Player after scoring 22 points in the win over Gonzaga in the national title game. Berry was named a Preseason First Team All-American by ESPN on Monday.

Freshman Jalek Felton and sophomore Seventh Woods will likely share the minutes at the point while Berry is out of the lineup. The Tar Heels open the regular season on Nov. 10 in Chapel Hill against Northern Iowa.

North Carolina has lost several key pieces from last year's team. Justin Jackson and Tony Bradley left early for the NBA, and Kennedy Meeks, Isaiah Hicks and Nate Britt were all seniors.