Diener’s Neck Injury Not as Bad as Feared

Travis Diener’s neck injury isn’t serious, and the Marquette guard might be able to play Saturday against DePaul.

“All things considered, and having had a chance to see on tape the forceful nature of the collision, we are extremely thankful that Travis is going to be OK,” Coach Tom Crean said Wednesday.

Diener, a junior, was injured when Charlotte’s Calvin Clemmons went for a fake and came down hard on top of him with 13 minutes 3 seconds left in Marquette’s 84-76 loss Tuesday.

Diener’s neck appeared to snap back before he fell hard to the floor, and he was taken off the court on a stretcher. He was reexamined Wednesday by Marquette’s sports medical staff and is listed as day to day.

Diener is averaging 17 points and six assists this season. He has played in all 82 games since arriving at Marquette in 2001.

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Connecticut guard Ben Gordon underwent surgery on his broken nose and was fitted for a special mask.

He did not practice Wednesday, and it is not known whether he would be available for the Huskies’ game against Providence on Saturday.

Gordon broke his nose Jan. 14 when he was hit with an elbow in the Huskies’ 94-70 victory over Georgetown.

He is averaging 18 points and leads the Huskies with 29 steals.

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Colorado State, happy to get 7-foot center Matt Nelson back from injury this week, is counting on point guard Micheal Morris to return as well.

Nelson, who sprained his right knee in the team’s Jan. 5 loss to Montana State, scored 17 points in the Rams’ loss at Utah on Monday.

Morris hasn’t practiced or played since straining his right hamstring in the Montana State game.

But he said he should be ready to play this weekend when the Rams (8-8, 0-3 Mountain West Conference) play host to San Diego State 11-6, 2-0) on Saturday and Nevada Las Vegas (9-5, 0-2) on Monday.