Ex-Illini Mr.Basketball Jereme Richmond violates probation
Posted: Fri Nov 2, 2012 1:29 pm
Former Illini basketball standout Jereme Richmond was sent back to Lake County Jail on Thursday after officials said he failed several conditions of his probation — given after his January guilty plea for unlawful use of a weapon.
Richmond tested positive for marijuana use Oct. 19, failed to comply with a curfew and did not attend orientation for domestic violence treatment, Lake County Assistant State's Attorney Jim Newman told Judge John Phillips.
Newman asked Phillips to revoke Richmond's probation and have him spend the remainder of his sentence in jail.
"One of the most important things of any probation is that you follow through with treatment," Newman said. "He's not following through with that treatment. There's also some substance abuse issues."
Richmond, 20, of Waukegan, was a top Illinois high school player when he entered the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, but he left after his freshman season in an unsuccessful NBA draft bid. He was arrested in August 2011 in Waukegan and accused of punching his ex-girlfriend and threatening her family with a gun. After his guilty plea on the weapons charge, he was sentenced to 18 months of probation. He was jailed in October 2011 after failing a drug test, authorities said.
In court Thursday, Richmond's attorney, Lawrence Wade, told Phillips that his client does not have a job but "engages in a significant amount of volunteer work in Chicago."
Wade asked Phillips to allow Richmond to remain out of jail on a 24-hour curfew so he could attend treatment instead of being incarcerated.
"Mr. Richmond has displayed specific addictive tendencies, and I believe these tendencies have once again reared its ugly head," the judge said. He ordered Richmond held over the weekend in jail without bail and said he would take the issue up again Monday morning.
"You are going to need to give your attorney an exact plan on how you are going to get to these appointments," he said.
With that, the Richmond was once again escorted back to jail.
Earlier this year, the Sterling, Ill.-based Sauk Valley Predators, of the Premier Basketball League, announced that Richmond would play for the team. Owner and general manager Brad Grenoble said the arrangement was "perfect" and that Richmond led the team on an 11-game winning streak before he abruptly quit just before the team was scheduled to fly to New York for a playoff game.
"I wish him nothing but the best. I just wish he didn't have to quit, two days before playoffs," Grenoble said. "It's a total shame. He has all the talent in the world."
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/loca ... 4215.story
In his senior year, Richmond was named to the 2010 McDonald's All-American Boys Game roster. Richmond was also named the 2010 Illinois Mr. Basketball. Following his senior year, Richmond was a member of the USA Basketball U18 National Team that won a gold medal at the FIBA Americas Championship in June 2010.
According to ESPNU, Richmond was the twenty-third best overall high school recruit for the class of 2010 as well as the fourth best small forward. According to Rivals.com, Richmond was the thirty-fifth best overall recruit.
How quickly they fall