This past winter, three Illini basketball players, Leron Black, Jaylon Tate and Kendrick Nunn, were all arrested on very serious charges and indefinitely suspended from the team. Depending on how the legal process would play out, all three could have potentially faced felony charges.
These serious issues all came on the heels of another player, Darius Paul, being kicked off the team last summer due to persistent legal troubles. Yes, it can be difficult to keep up with all the legal specifics of Illini basketball player court cases. Thus we’ve updated all three precarious situations for you.
Today brought closure to the status of Kendrick Nunn, thus resolving the third and final question.
“We have not reached this decision easily; we care deeply about Kendrick and want him to be successful,” a joint statement from Illinois athletic director Josh Whitman and men’s basketball coach John Groce reads.
“But after extensive deliberation, we think it best for our program to reaffirm our core values of trust and respect, to send a strong message about what is acceptable behavior for our student-athletes at the University of Illinois, and to part ways with Kendrick. As it is on college campuses across the country, relationship violence is of significant concern at our University, and we expect Fighting Illini student-athletes to be leaders in promoting healthy, respectful, caring relationships. We wish Kendrick all the best as he prepares for the next chapter of his life.”
Make no mistake, this was much more the call, if not THE CALL of Whitman, not Groce.
And make no mistake, the A.D. made THE CORRECT CALL, UNQUESTIONABLY.
Doing what helps the team in the short term, on the court, is nothing compared to what is morally, ethically (and even good for the brand, and hence makes good business sense) off the court. Illini basketball got this decision terribly wrong with Jamar Smith about a decade ago, they got it right with Kendrick Nunn today.
Of course, don’t get it twisted, this is not a time for cheering or celebration. This is a time to acknowledge what had to be done, and to hope that Nunn can find a way to get his life together. And a time to hope that Illinois can pull themselves out of the mire that they are in moving forward.
Nunn was the team’s second best player behind Malcolm Hill, there’s no doubt about that. However, making the NCAA Tournament is meaningless if it were to come with the price tag of establishing a morally repugnant precedent.
Nunn pleaded guilty to misdemeanor battery last Wednesday, admitting that he struck his girlfriend in an incident on March 16th at her campus apartment. Should Nunn complete the terms of his plea agreement, the battery conviction will be expunged from his permanent record.
Nunn will avoid having a conviction on his record only if he completes 100 hours of community service, completes a 26-week partner abuse prevention program and writes a letter of apology to the victim, all while under 18 months of court supervision.
Nunn was accused of hitting a woman, pushing her to the floor and pouring water on her during an argument.
Off the court, Illini basketball witnessed four players temporarily kicked off the team in the wake of legal problems in 2015-16. On the court, they set a school record for single season losses. Obviously, up is the only direction the program can move in 2016-17.
On May 6th, Leron Black was reinstated from his 78-day indefinite suspension that stemmed from his February 18th arrest for pulling a knife on a bouncer.
Black pleaded guilty April 21st to a misdemeanor assault charge as part of a plea agreement from the original felony aggravated assault charge. He will serve a six-game suspension from the Illini basketball program, including two exhibition games, to begin the 2016-17 season.
Jaylon Tate was officially reinstated to the Illini basketball team this afternoon less than 24 hours after the state dropped domestic battery charges (stemming from a March 12th incident) against him.
“(Thursday), the State’s Attorney’s office concluded it could not prove its case against Jaylon,” Illini Athletic Director Josh Whitman said in a statement. Illini basketball coach John Groce did not release a statement and declined comment to the Champaign News-Gazette.
Tate’s trial had been scheduled for June 7th in Champaign.
“Based on the information we have reviewed, we are confident that Jaylon is indeed innocent,” Whitman’s statement continued.
“Jaylon has shown exceptional character during this unfortunate situation, and in light of yesterday’s decision and our own conclusions, we have welcomed Jaylon back to the program. We encourage our community and fans to do the same.”
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, partnered with FOX Sports Engage Network. and News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, currently contributes regularly to the Chicago Tribune’s RedEye publication and Bold Global.
He also consistently appears on numerous talk shows all across the country. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram
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