USU suspends DiLoreto

Utah State has a reputation of not dealing with any shenanigans from its basketball players. Screwing around and breaking team rules, no matter how trivial and no matter the player, typically ends in a disciplinary action.

Aggie basketball coach Stew Morrill announced Monday that redshirt freshman center Anthony DiLoreto has been suspended from the team indefinitely for an undisclosed violation of team rules. With the suspension, DiLoreto will not practice or travel with the team.

DiLoreto, a 7-1, 230-pound center from Minnetonka, Minn., is redshirting for Utah State this year and hasn’t played in any games.

This comes as a bit of a surpise. Though USU would not say what the violation of team rules was, DiLoreto knew he was already on a pretty short leash. After a serious transgression following high school — he was the get-away driver in an attempted bank robbery in Wisconsin — he came to Utah State knowing he already had a couple of strikes against him in most books.

Morrill, however, investigated the situation and felt a second chance was in order after restitution was made and his debt to society paid.

The violation of team rules may be as minor as missing a curfew or study hall. Or it could be more serious. Morrill and Utah State, understandably, are not commenting. As a redshirt who knew he wasn’t going to play this season, it’s possible he was not as diligent in observing all rules.

What it means is that Utah State will not have a valuable player during practices. Though DiLoreto’s skill set was not yet where the Aggies wanted it, his physical presence in practices helped USU’s post players prepare for taller opponents.