Sophomore walk-on John Rinaldi was suspended from the men’s basketball team after he was arrested for driving while intoxicated early Friday morning, the University announced Friday afternoon. Rinaldi did not participate in the team’s first official practice later that day and cannot participate in any of the team’s activities during his suspension, as is determined by the Binghamton University Student-Athlete Code of Conduct. However, academic resources will still be made available to him.
After all legal proceedings are resolved (Rinaldi was issued an appearance ticket in Vestal Town Court), the Dunmore, Pa. native can appeal to be reinstated to the team. He would first need approval from head coach Tommy Dempsey before meeting with the Athletics Review Board, which would subsequently make a recommendation to Athletics Director Patrick Elliott. The final decision is Elliott’s.
The 6-foot-2 guard played 26 games with no starts last season, averaging 4.9 minutes per game. He scored seven points, grabbed 12 boards and committed five turnovers through his 127 total minutes.