Don't believe what you see and hear on the internet. The rumors about Jereme Richmond transferring from Illinois are unfounded. After missing two days of practice and the Wisconsin game, Illinois' standout freshman is back with the team, coach Bruce Weber said Monday.
He just needed to attend to some personal issues, Weber said, adding that's all there was to it.
``I'm not sure where all the rumors come from,'' Weber said. ``That's one of your dilemmas that you [media] have to deal with, all the internet [stuff]. It really is a negative thing. I feel bad for you guys. We [coaches] don't feel good about things that were put out there. There's a lot of distrust that happens.
``Jereme had some personal issues that he wanted to deal with. He went home and talked with his family. He was in Madison and at practice Sunday.''
The days he missed, combined with a small, but nagging achilles injury, have impeded the progress of Illinois' first McDonald's All-American since Dee Brown, but Weber expects Richmond to overcome those issues.
``Hopefully, he'll be a valuable member of our team down the stretch run,'' Weber said. ``We can use him. The the sad part is, he was really starting to figure it out and feel comfortable, starting to help our team. Hopefully, we can get him back on track. He can add a lot to our team. He gives us a lot of versatility, especially when you talk about [Tuesday opponent] Michigan State playing small ball. He can guard a lot of people. When he and Brandon Paul can create, they could really ease the pressure on Demetri [McCamey] as far as having to create, not only for themselves but also for other people.''