Devin Rinaldi Sandpoint Year: Senior Sport: Basketball Position: Post

Those who know Devin Rinaldi consider the Sandpoint post player a gentle giant.

“For as big as he is,” said Bulldogs coach Kurt Lundblad, “he is twice the person. It says a lot about his family, and the community should be proud of him.”

That gentleness is welcome most places except on a basketball court, where the game is physical and push often leads to shove.

“I was a little intimidated last year,” the 6-foot-5, 230-pound Rinaldi said. “I was afraid I would get in foul trouble. This year when I get pushed, I shove back.”

His added confidence is paying off. This season, Rinaldi is averaging 13 points and seven rebounds per game.

Against Colville last Friday, though, he was anything but average. He netted a career-high 34 points with 10 rebounds, five steals and five blocked shots. He was surprised he scored that many points because he didn’t think he put up many shots.

“I thought I had maybe 20 points,” he said.

He didn’t take any more shots than normal; he just stopped missing after the first attempt, sinking the next 14.

“I got a lot of looks,” he said. “The guys really pulled together, and that helped out.”

“I don’t think he understands his full potential yet,” Lundblad said. “There are some colleges looking at him, and I think he’ll make the transition easily and advance his game.”

Rinaldi has been getting some offers to play in college but mostly for football. This despite that his final football season ended before it began.

On the sixth day of practice, Rinaldi got caught at the bottom of a pile and his left leg was broken.

There was enough time to recover for his final season of hoops.

Although it’s been a disappointing year for the Bulldogs (4-11 overall, 3-10 in league), Rinaldi plays as if each game will be his last.

“It’s the same for every game,” he said. “You have to stay intense if you want to win. It doesn’t matter if it’s a league game or not.”

There is also a little showboat in Rinaldi, who takes pride in his ability to dunk.

“I can reverse or pump fake and bring it home,” he said. “It’s too easy and boring to go straight up. I have to do something to get the crowd into it.”

The Bulldogs’ win at Lake City in the regional tournament last year is close to Rinaldi’s heart.

“It was the first time we ever won in their gym,” he said.

Rinaldi’s college plans are to stay close to home. But he is prepared to take his big shoes wherever a scholarship is offered.

“I have played basketball all my life,” he said. “I was always the tallest kid in class with the biggest feet who played a lot of basketball. Wherever I go to school next year will depend on where I can play.”