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Jereme and Jerrance

Posted by: Paul Klee

Monday, April 6, 2009 12:51 PM

Waukegan junior Jereme Richmond was named the News-Gazette All-State Player of the Year. You can read the story here. In many ways, Jereme is the same kid I talked to after his second varsity game, way back in November 2006: insightful and reflective and much older than his actual age.

When Richmond became the first freshman to commit to Illinois, there was a feeling the early pledge might cut down on some of the attention - and the phone calls - because it would put an end to the recruiting process. I think it has worked in the other direction, shining a brighter spotlight on his playing ability and his journey and his attitude and pretty much everything he does.

Among other things, the story provides some insight into the sleazeballs in Chicago that force a 17-year-old to change his phone number, by my count, three times in the past year.

"I'm about to change it today, as a matter of fact," he told me in Waukegan.

You can also see how Richmond's hospitalization can change a star's view on staying in college.

- Since 1983, two players have repeated as N-G All-State Player of the Year: Jamie Brandon ('89 and '90) and Jon Scheyer ('05 and '06). Richmond would be the state's best player in 2009-10, though "situations may arise" where he finishes high school elsewhere, he said.

"He's not at 50 percent of what he can be as a player," Waukegan coach Ron Ashlaw said. "You know how they always talk about the great ones being able to see a play before it happens? He has that."

- Richmond and fellow UI recruit Crandall Head have grown to be close friends. It's a friendship that wasn't really there before both prospects committed to Illinois.

"What's funny is that in the seventh grade, I hated his guts," Richmond said with a laugh.

I pointed out Crandall Head seems like a hard guy to dislike, because he's so quiet and chilled out.

"And that's the thing. That's why I was so mad at him. We were on the court in the seventh grade, and he didn't give me back that fire," Richmond said. "It was Rising Stars vs. First Step at (Joy of the Game in Deerfield). I had a couple bad plays and he had a couple great plays. I wasn't that athletic, but he's always been athletic. He's got those genes. I was talking smack to him, and he's just looking at me, just getting buckets whenever he wanted. So, I was mad at him. But every since then, small talk turned into being best friends. I can't wait to play with him for real."

- You'll also notice Richmond said the only way he would reconsider his commitment to Illinois is if assistant coach Jerrance Howard took another job.

Since he was hired at Illinois in September 2007, Howard has been approached by at least two programs - Marquette and Kentucky - about the possibility of joining their staffs.

The 28-year-old Howard told me he was approached a few days ago to gauge his interest in joining John Calipari's staff at UK. After thinking over the initial overture, Howard said he wasn't going to pursue the position and he would stay at Illinois. It should be noted there was no formal job offer from UK.

The third-party person of influence here is William Wesley, a close friend of Howard's and a man with ties to Calipari. Howard spent time with Wesley at the Final Four in Detroit over the weekend and the two became tight through mutual friend Deron Williams. Read more about Wesley's Illinois ties here.

pklee@news-gazette.com