Vandals suspend Barone

Kyle Barone, Idaho’s top returning player, has been suspended indefinitely for a violation of team rules, coach Don Verlin announced today.

We’ve got the details below.

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The full release from UI is below. If Barone’s suspension continues into the season, it’s a big deal. He’s clearly the Vandals’ best low-block player and their top returning scorer. For now, he’ll miss exhibition games.

MOSCOW, Idaho – University of Idaho senior men’s basketball player Kyle Barone has been suspended indefinitely after a violation of team rules, Vandal head coach Don Verlin announced on Monday.

“My job is to educate student-athletes and to teach them how to conduct themselves on and off the court,” Verlin said. “We have challenged Kyle to become a first-class student and resident of Moscow. How he responds will determine his status on our basketball team.”

Barone is a three-year letterwinner for the Vandal men’s basketball team. He enters the 2012-13 season as the team’s active leader in points, rebounds, assists, blocks and steals and is a strong Western Athletic Conference preseason awards candidate.

He was a 2012 Second-Team All-WAC honoree and a 2011 Honorable Mention All-WAC selection.

Verlin said Barone’s status will be re-evaluated as the season progresses. Idaho men’s basketball holds its first practice on Friday at 5 p.m. (PT). The Vandals play their first exhibition game on Saturday, Oct. 27, against Seattle Pacific at 7:05 p.m. at Memorial Gym and open their season on Friday, Nov. 9, against Wright State.