Top 10 Illinois basketball recruiting busts of all time

Special talent has walked the State Farm Center floor, but the Illinois basketball team has also had some pretty big recruiting busts of the years.

Mar 17, 2022; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Andre Curbelo (5) and Fighting Illini guard Alfonso Plummer (11) stand on the court during practice before the first round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports / Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

2 of 10

No. 9 Jereme Richmond

The first two players on the list of the top 10 recruiting busts of all time are from the 2010 class. Crandall Head didn’t live up to his billing and neither did Jereme Richmond.

Illinois snagged the top three players in the state of Illinois that season, and Richmond was among them. He was a 6-foot-7, 205-pound small forward out of Waukegan High School in Illinois. He was rated as a four-star recruit and ranked as the No. 30 player in the class of 2010. He was also the No. 6 small forward in the country and the No. 2 player coming out of Illinois.

Richmond entered the Illinois basketball program with a lot of clout. He wasn’t just a top-30 recruit, but Richmond entered as a Parade All-American. He was one of the best players coming out of high school.

As a freshman, Richmond showed his talent. He averaged 7.6 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game. He clearly had a ton of potential, but someone got in his ear. While Richmond could have and should have played another year in college, he decided to depart for the NBA Draft.

Needless to say, Richmond didn’t get drafted. His life spiraled a bit after his departure from Illinois as well. It was hard to put Richmond on this list because he was good in the lone season in Champaign. But the combination of recruiting ranking and the fact he was only here one year lands him in the top 10.

Home/All-Time Basketball Lists