Illini earned Big Ten All-Freshman Team Honors
Champaign, Ill. – University of Illinois freshman guard/forward Jereme Richmond (Waukegan, Ill./Waukegan H.S.) announced Tuesday that he is declaring for the 2011 NBA Draft and will not return to school. Richmond is working out in Chicago and will weigh his options regarding signing with an agent.
“I enjoyed my time at the University of Illinois and would like to thank the coaching staff and my teammates for everything they’ve done for me,” Richmond said. “At this time, I’m ready to follow my dreams and achieve my life-long goal of playing in the NBA.”
Richmond earned Big Ten All-Freshman Team honors after averaging 7.6 points and 5.0 rebounds in 31 games for the Illini during the 2010-11 season. He shot 52.8 percent from the field and ranked third in the Big Ten in field goal shooting during conference play at 60.4 percent. Richmond scored in double figures 10 times, led by a career-high 18 points on 9-of-12 shooting against Ohio State on Jan. 22. The team’s third-leading rebounder on the season, Richmond led the Illini in rebounding in six games, highlighted by a career-best 12 boards versus UIC on Dec. 18.
“Jereme is an extremely talented player who helped us at nearly every position,” Weber said. “His versatility and ability to impact the game in a number of different areas are skills that will help him greatly as he pursues his dream of playing professional basketball. We wish Jereme the best and thank him for all he has meant to the Illinois basketball program, from the time he committed as a high school freshman through his contributions this past season.”