Ex-Marquette Star Travis Diener Quarantined in Italy

 

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Former Marquette men's basketball star Travis Diener and his family are now under a region-wide quarantine in Lombardy, Italy.

Diener plays professional basketball in Italy's Serie A for a team based in Cremona. Lombardy is the epicenter for the coronavirus outbreak in northern Italy.

CBS 58 spoke with Diener as he was preparing to play a league game in an empty arena this weekend but the game was postponed after Italy's prime minister declared a region-wide quarantine affecting 16 million people including the Dieners.

"I don’t have any regrets you know this is something that you could never see coming." said Diener. "I have had a great experience here this year as well, we have had a great year to this point. There are no regrets. You just wish that this wouldn’t have happened and it would go away as soon as possible, it doesn’t look like that’s the case.”

With school and most events canceled, Diener says life has been pretty boring.

"Unless we absolutely have to go out to grab some groceries or something like that," Diener said. Obviously I'll still go to practice but, there's not much action. There's not much to do right now. You try to live by what they're telling you and not put yourself in too much danger or put yourself at risk and that's kind of what we've been doing."

Diener says the league is meeting Monday to determine next steps. He hopes to be able to leave Italy if the basketball season is suspended.