Hofstra hoop player arrested on marijuana charge

A Hofstra University basketball player was arrested in Brooklyn early Friday after police found six suspected marijuana cigars in his car during a traffic stop, authorities said.

Jamal Coombs-McDaniel, 23, was pulled over in a 2011 Nissan Maxima for driving without a seat belt, according to a spokesman for the Kings County district attorney's office. Police found the marijuana cigars in a cup holder of the car, the spokesman said.

Coombs-McDaniel, who according to the Hofstra website is from Dorchester, Mass., was charged with criminal possession of marijuana and driving without a license, both misdemeanors. He was awaiting arraignment Saturday.

The junior forward -- who helped the University of Connecticut Huskies win the 2010-11 national title before transferring to Hofstra -- was arrested for marijuana possession on the UConn campus in April 2011. Campus police there said they found him in a dorm with the drug, a grinding tool and a package of cigar rolling papers, The Associated Press reported.

A judge ordered him to take 10 drug education classes and perform 75 hours of community service for dismissal of the misdemeanor drug charges.

Coombs-McDaniel was suspended for the first two games of this season for violating a team rule. He suffered a season-ending knee injury, never played a game for Hofstra and is not expected to return to the squad, team officials have said.

Other Hofstra basketball players have had recent legal problems as well.

Seven games into this season, four team members were arrested and charged with burglary after, Nassau County police said, they admitted to stealing more than $10,000 worth of electronics from fellow students. They were among at least six players disciplined this season.

A spokeswoman for the college declined to comment on Coombs-McDaniel's arrest.