Gatens expects to miss weeks, not months with injury

CHICAGO - Iowa guard Matt Gatens expects to be out weeks, not months, after tearing a tendon in his non-shooting left hand during Tuesday's practice, a person with knowledge of the situation said Wednesday.

Gatens, a junior, had started 64 consecutive games for Iowa and was the Hawkeyes' leading scorer last year averaging 12.3 points a game. He will have surgery Thursday and is considered out indefinitely.

Iowa Coach Fran McCaffery was at meetings with other Big Ten coaches Wednesday night and was unavailable for comment, Iowa associate sports information director Matt Weitzel said.  McCaffery expects to address Gatens' injury Thursday during Big Ten Media Day in Chicago. Weitzel declined to comment about Gatens' injury.

Gatens, an Iowa City native, was named to the Big Ten's all-freshman team in 2009 and was an honorable mention all-Big Ten selection last year as a sophomore.

Iowa plays host to Illinois-Springfield at 3:30 p.m. Sunday in an exhibition. The Hawkeyes open their season Nov. 14 against South Dakota State at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.