Gatens out for season opener

IOWA CITY - Iowa junior guard Matt Gatens will not play today in the Hawkeyes' season opener against South Dakota State.

Gatens, an Iowa City native, did not participate in the morning shootaround. It's unlikely he'll dress for the game, according to associate Iowa sports information director Matt Weitzel.

Gatens, Iowa's leading scorer last year at 12.3 points a game, suffered a torn tendon in his left, non-shooting hand on Oct. 26. Two days later he had surgery to repair the tendon. He had his cast removed on Wednesday and hoped to play this week.

Gatens had started all 64 games of his college career.

Iowa is slated to start Cully Payne, Eric May, Zach McCabe, Melsahn Basabe and Jarryd Cole today in new Coach Fran McCaffery's Iowa debut.