Senior Kyrie Sutton’s Nov. 4 dismissal from the Binghamton University men’s basketball team came on the same day of his most recent arrest for the misdemeanor charge of criminal possession of stolen property.
Sutton was arraigned yesterday evening at Vestal Town Court. He is accused of knowingly possessing a stolen iPhone.
Sutton, who before his dismissal was the program’s only senior and last remaining member of the 2009 America East championship roster, had no comment for reporters following his arraignment.
Head coach Mark Macon and BU athletic director Jim Norris were both asked by Pipe Dream whether Sutton’s dismissal was connected to the arrest, but neither would confirm or deny any link between the two.
No mention was made of Sutton’s removal from the team until minutes before the start of Monday’s exhibition game against Mansfield University. Macon briefly touched on the matter in a post-game press conference, but offered little insight as to why he removed Sutton from the roster.
Macon said that the team and Sutton “were going in different directions,” and has repeatedly labeled the dismissal as a “coach’s decision.” Norris said he fully supports the dismissal and Macon’s characterization.
When a reporter from the Press & Sun-Bulletin asked Macon at Monday’s press conference whether Sutton was dismissed because of legal problems, Macon said “no,” and reiterated that it was a “coach’s decision.”
PAST RUN-INS
Friday’s arrest was the most recent of at least four separate legal incidents that Sutton has experienced in the last two years.
Sutton was arrested in 2010 for allegedly jumping a turnstile in Brooklyn, according to Tim McGrath, deputy borough chief clerk at Kings County Criminal Court. He was charged with one count of trespassing and one count of theft of services, but never appeared in court concerning the matter. McGrath said there is a warrant for Sutton’s arrest in Kings County for missing his court date.
He was charged with aggravated unlicensed operation (AUO) on BU’s campus on March 10. Investigator Dennis Bush of Binghamton’s New York State University Police confirmed the charge, and noted that a court date is still pending.
Pipe Dream obtained a certificate of disposition from Vestal Town Court that indicates Sutton was arrested and charged with unlawful possession of marijuana on Sept. 26. The charge was eventually reduced, and Sutton pled guilty to disorderly conduct on Oct. 11. The violation carried a $125 fine.
REASON TO REMOVE?
When Pipe Dream approached Macon Wednesday with detailed questions regarding Sutton’s legal situation, the coach again said that the dismissal “was more of a coach’s decision,” before directing reporters to other administrators.
Norris also would not comment on Sutton’s legal affairs but, when pressed for details regarding Macon’s decision to remove the senior, emphasized that dismissals of players are, by the book, at the coach’s discretion.
Norris cited Section II of the 2010-11 Student-Athlete Handbook. The section, titled “Sports Management & Athletic Support Services,” outlines guidelines concerning program management.
It specifically states: “The head coach is ultimately responsible for the overall management of your particular program … Head coaches have the final say as to who will be in their program, who will travel, who will compete, who will receive scholarships and what the amount of those scholarships will be.”
Norris emphasized the role of head coaches in team management, reiterating that dismissals, regardless of arrests or any other circumstances, are simply in-house decisions.
“I can comment on our department policy and the fact that we have expectations,” he said. “And people are held accountable for those expectations.”