Kelly Lyell

kellylyell@coloradoan.com

Gian Clavell has been cleared to resume playing for the CSU men’s basketball team.

Clavell, a 6-foot-3 senior guard from Puerto Rico, is expected to play for the Rams (7-2) for the first time this season Saturday when they face Northern Colorado in a 2 p.m. game at Moby Arena.

Clavell, 22, was suspended indefinitely by Colorado State University following his Nov. 9 arrest on a misdemeanor charge of false imprisonment with a domestic violence enhancement.

His next court appearance is scheduled for Monday, an appearance of counsel hearing before Larimer County Judge Kraig Ecton, a spokeswoman for the district attorney's office confirmed Friday morning.

"With the student conduct review completed by the Student Resolution Center, and Gian remaining enrolled in good standing as a student at Colorado State, the athletic department has made the decision to reinstate him to full eligibility for competition, effective immediately," read a statement released by the school Friday afternoon. "However, due to the ongoing legal portion of this matter, no further comments about the incident will be made."

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A report by CSU campus police alleged Clavell, listed in court documents by his full name, Gian Clavell-Lopez, took a backpack away from a former girlfriend during an argument in the Moby Arena parking lot. Because her cell phone and keys were in the backpack, his actions constituted false imprisonment.

Clavell was called in for questioning by CSU police after the incident was reported, arrested and transported to the Larimer County Jail, where he remained overnight. He was released on a personal recognizance bond after a brief court appearance the following day.

Clavell had been arrested on the same charges for an incident involving the same victim July 16, 2015. Those charges were later dropped.

Clavell was cleared to begin practicing with the Rams again last weekend, coach Larry Eustachy said. Although he played in an exhibition game Nov. 8 against Regis, scoring 13 points and pulling down 12 rebounds, he hasn’t played in a game that counts for the Rams since Dec. 13, 2015, at Northern Colorado.

Clavell broke a bone in his hand after that game, and coupled with a shoulder injury that required surgery, was sidelined for the remainder of the 2015-16 season. He was averaging a team-leading 20.8 points and 6.9 rebounds per game through 10 contests when he suffered the injury.

The Mountain West granted Clavell a medical redshirt over the summer that allowed him to return this year and repeat his senior season.

Follow reporter Kelly Lyell at twitter.com/KellyLyell and facebook.com/KellyLyell.news

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