User:Dahamman2/Jereme Richmond

Jereme Richmond
College	Illinois
Conference	Big Ten
Sport	Basketball
Position	Guard-Forward
Jersey #	22
Class	Freshman
Height	6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
Weight	205 lb (93 kg)
Nationality	American
Born	(1992-03-13) March 13, 1992 Waukegan, Illinois
High school	Waukegan High School Waukegan, IL

Jereme Richmond (born March 3rd, 1992) is a Division I college basketball player for the University of Illinois. Born in Waukegan, IL to William and Kimberlee Richmond, Jereme transferred to Waukegan High School as a sophomore. There he starred as a small forward on the school's basketball team, leading them to two straight top three finishes in the state tournament while receiving numerous accolades and awards. Following a stellar high school career, Richmond, at 6'7 and 205 lbs., was widely regarded as a highly desired and top-ranked college recruit. Fulfilling his longtime commitment, Richmond enrolled at the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana in the fall of 2010 with the intention of playing for the varsity basketball team on a full athletic scholarship. Now in his freshman season, he is currently playing considerable minutes in a reserve role as a combination guard-forward for the top-25 Illinois basketball team. He wears jersey number 22.

Basketball Career

High School

As a freshman, Richmond attended North Shore Country Day High School of Winnetka, IL. Following a transfer in his sophomore year, he excelled as the starting small forward for the for the Waukegan High Bulldogs basketball team of Waukegan, IL. As a junior, he led Waukegan to a runner-up finish in the 2009 IHSA Class 4A State Tournament. The next year as a senior he led the team to a third-place finish in the very same tournament. Despite his multitude of successes, Richmond has run into some trouble on and off the court, being suspended from his high school team on more than one occasion. In one such case, he was briefly kicked off the Waukegan team during his sophomore season following a heated argument with his coach, Ron Ashlaw.

Accolades

As a senior, Richmond was chosen to the McDonald's All-American team, the annual national all-star team comprised of the country's best players and one of the highest honors available for a high school athlete. Upon choosing to play at Illinois he became only the 13th McDonald's All-American to play for the Illini. Following this selection, Richmond was next chosen as the 2010 Illinois Mr. Basketball, awarded annually to the best high school basketball player in the state. He was also selected as a two-time Chicago Sun-Times Player of the Year and first-team All-State player as both a junior and senior. 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 of 2010.

Recruitment

Richmond verbally committed to Illinois in November of 2006 after playing his first high school game. Following his brilliant high school career, Richmond was ranked as the No. 24 recruit in the nation in the class of 2010 on the recruiting services consensus index, a ratings system that combines the annual ranking lists of some of the national recruiting publications. In the same rating system, he was listed as the No. 4 best player at his position of small forward.

Statistics

  Senior Year:
     *20.6 points/game
     *11.4 rebounds/game
     *2.9 assists/game 
     *2.5 blocks/game

  Junior Year:
     *20.1 points/game
     *9.7 rebounds/game
     *3.6 assists/game 
     *2.3 blocks/game 

College

Entering his freshman year at Illinois, Richmond is widely considered by scouts as an elite talent with a complete skills set and a tremendous upside. Playing primarily as a wing player, he has good length making him a good on the ball defender and a capable shot blocker. His strengths include his ability to attack from the wing with the ball creating shots for himself or teammates. One criticism of Richmond is that his overall strength could be improved. At eighteen years of age and a solid frame, however, many believe it will be easy for him to add muscle as he develops, further improving his game.

Freshman Year

Through the completion of the first ten games in the 2010-2011 season, Richmond has averaged 21.3 minutes in a reserve role for the Illini. During this brief span, however, Richmond has made noticeable contributions averaging 8.3 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. As the potential leader of a talented recruiting class, he figures to be a key figure in the future of the Illini program following a series of disappointing seasons.

NBA aspirations

With his significant skill set and vast potential, Richmond is considered a legitimate prospect for the NBA. Many scouts predict that he is unlikely to play for all four years of his college eligibility, opting instead to pursue the NBA draft in either 2012 or 2013.

Personal Life

Richmond is currently enrolled in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences in the general curriculum classification at the University of Illinois. He has three siblings: two older brothers, William and Justin, and a younger sister, Jordan, to whom he is godfather. He lists his favorite athlete as Kobe Bryant.

References

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