Braeden Anderson unlikely to play

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Fresno State forward Braeden Anderson, who suffered a broken neck earlier this month in a car accident, is back on campus and making progress but is expected to miss this season.

"It's unlikely, but you never know," the 6-foot-9 Canadian told ESPN.com. "I've been improving in the last week and feel much better. I can move everything."

Anderson was a passenger in a car wreck on Sept. 3. His neck hit the ceiling of the vehicle and the injuries required two surgeries. Anderson suffered a displacement of the C-5 through C-6 vertebrae and was taken from the Community Regional Medical Center to Stanford for the second surgery.

Anderson returned to campus last week and told ESPN.com that his mother is staying with him as he continues to progress.

"I'm able to move my neck," Anderson said. "My recovery is going ahead of schedule. The doctors told me that with the injury I suffered, I had a 0.6 percent chance of being discharged from the hospital. I've ended up making a full recovery. I know how fortunate I am."

Anderson was initially a Kansas signee but wasn't cleared by the NCAA and decided to go to Fresno State. He was ineligible for the first part of last season and averaged 4.1 points and 3.5 rebounds after being cleared for the final 10 games of the season.

Fresno coach Rodney Terry told ESPN.com that Anderson was set to be a major cog for the Bulldogs this season.

"I was ready to have a monster year," Anderson said. "That's the hardest part of everything right now. I put so much time into it and was so excited."

"But I'll be back," he added. "Success is the only option. This hasn't been easy, but I'll get through it. This will just make me stronger."

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Jeff Goodman

ESPN Insider

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• Joined ESPN as a college basketball Insider in June 2013
• Previously wrote for CBSSports.com and FOXSports.com