Vinales Will Remain at CCSU

Central Connecticut men's basketball player Kyle Vinales, a rising-junior in 2013-14, will remain with the Blue Devil basketball program.  The Department of Athletics and head coach Howie Dickenman made the announcement on Friday.  

Vinales was granted permission to speak with other schools last month, but will now continue as a student-athlete at Central Connecticut for his final two seasons.

"I called Coach Dickenman on Thursday to ask if my scholarship was still available.  He said that it was," Vinales said on Friday.  "I made a mistake and this process has taught me what is really important.  I learned that my teammates are my brothers and that this coaching staff and school truly care about my future and about me.  You don't find that everywhere and I realize that now."

Vinales became the fastest player in school history to score 1,000 points this past season.  He was a First Team All-Northeast Conference selection after finishing in the top-10 in the country in scoring.  

"Kyle knows that he has some work to do to earn back some of the trust of his teammates, but I believe he is sincere in doing that," Dickenman said.  "He is committed to what he needs to do to make this right. We didn't have any ill will towards Kyle when he decided to leave, and now that he has been through that process we are happy that he will be a Blue Devil for the rest of his career.  He's a hard worker, and now the work continues for next season."

Vinales averaged 21.6 points per game as a sophomore and 38.2 minutes played per game, among the national leaders in each category.  He has scored 1,169 points in his first two seasons with the Blue Devils.  He also led the team in assists and finished eighth in the NEC at 3.8 assists per game.

"I now know what is important," Vinales said.  "I have to prove myself to my teammates and coaches once again, and I will show them that I am committed to this team.  I've learned a lot from this process and know this is where I want to be.  When I decided to leave I made some comments about winning and getting to the NCAA Tournament.  I know that if I'm going to be a leader for this team, that responsibility begins with me.  I am committed to my team, my coaches and CCSU."