Never a dull moment

[luvthosejacks]

These are exciting times in Brookings.





Ex-SDSU player due in court Monday

Chris Solari
csolari@argusleader.com
published: 7/10/2004
BROOKINGS - A 22-year-old former South Dakota State men's basketball player has been charged with burglary and attempted burglary.

Marquise Richardson was transported to Brookings from Illinois late this week and is in Brookings County jail awaiting $10,000 bond. He is scheduled to appear Monday morning in County Court and could face up to 37 1/2 years in jail or a maximum fine of $37,500.

Court documents allege that Richardson forced his way into an apartment and held a pellet pistol to the head of a Brookings woman on May 17. Richardson allegedly ordered the woman to the floor and demanded money and jewelry from her. The police report says the woman managed to break free and flee the scene.

State's attorney Clyde Calhoon said Richardson waived his right to extradition and was transported to Brookings from his hometown of Decatur, Ill.

SDSU athletic department officials would not comment, directing questions to Michael Reger, the school's executive vice president for administration. Reger is on vacation and could not be reached for comment.

Richardson played two years at SDSU after transferring from Lake Land Community College in Matoon, Ill., prior to the 2002-03 season. The 6-foot point guard averaged 10.6 points in his 65 games with the Jackrabbits. He finished his eligibility in March.

Two basketball teammates were arrested for marijuana possession at Richardson's apartment in December 2002, although Richardson was neither charged nor arrested.

The latest allegations are the third high-profile arrest in the last six months within the SDSU athletic department, which recently became the state's first Division I sports program.

Athletic director Fred Oien was arrested in January for a domestic altercation. He pleaded guilty to misdemeanor counts of disorderly conduct and interfering with emergency communication in April.

Another athlete, football player Anthony Robinson, was arrested last week and charged with distributing more than one pound of marijuana, intent to distribute more than more than one pound of marijuana, and a lesser distribution charge. The 23-year-old native of Fontana, Calif., is scheduled to appear in Brookings County Court on Aug. 25.





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[bigjake]

Re: Never a dull moment

I would love to be in the room when Fred Oien comes in and gives Marquis the lecture about how important it is to be a good law abiding citizen. But then Fred's was just a youthful indiscretion. I would imagine Fred is feeling a little cognitive dissonance about this issue in his own mind. Just like Mav1 and myself have been predicting - You are going to have more of these characters in your program in the future. Heck, maybe I will start becoming a Jack fan - more interesting stuff going on like AD's committing disorderly conduct, tons of pot being smoked there to numb the pain of living in that hellhole and now this. All hell is breaking loose up there!!

[DanceswithRabbits]

Re: Never a dull moment

I would love to be in the room when Fred Oien comes in and gives Marquis the lecture about how important it is to be a good law abiding citizen. But then Fred's was just a youthful indiscretion. I would imagine Fred is feeling a little cognitive dissonance  about this issue in his own mind.  Just like Mav1 and myself have been predicting - You are going to have more of these characters in your program in the future.  Heck, maybe I will start becoming a Jack fan - more interesting stuff going on like AD's committing disorderly conduct, tons of pot being smoked there to numb the pain of living in that hellhole and now this.  All hell is breaking loose up there!!

Since, Marquis has used up his eligibility (used his 4 years) in March, the Athletics Dept. and Fred have have no responsibility here. So there will be no talk.

[jackmd]

Re: Never a dull moment

Well, this certainly isn't pleasant news. I hope the young lady who was allegedly victimized is okay. As for Mr. Richardson, I guess time will tell.

Suggesting that this, Fred's, or Anthony's problems are related to SDSU and the move to DI is a travishamockery. Fred didn't behave as he did because of SDSU (if you suggest there is evidence of this its circumstantial at best), Anthony didn't decide to deal drugs when the announcement to move to DI was made, and Marquis didn't rob at gunpoint (allegedly) some woman to help support the Jackrabbit club and the move to DI.

Certainly, it reflects poorly on the institution but no more so than if any student committed the same crime. All that being said, I hope we don't hear about anymore problems for some time.

[JackJD]

Re: Never a dull moment

People like BigJake want to evoke a reaction. My reaction was to research both USD's and MSU's incidents involving student athletes and criminal activity (I take it BigJake is associated in some fashion with one of those institutions). If we're making comparisons,...well, I'll stand with SDSU any day.

But, the fact is, most of the time one cannot connect the program with a wayward student athlete. When there are a series of problems, perhaps the institution needs to look at a specific program (e.g. USD's rash of problems with football players in the past three years).

[JBNJBQ]

Re: Never a dull moment

A lot of credit goes to the Brookings Police Force and the Brookings County Sheriff's Department! People (especially young people) make poor choices every day in every city in the world.

In Brookings it does not matter who you are, if you make a bad choice and get caught, you will pay the price! You won't find anyone associated with SDSU that thinks that illegal conduct is o.k.

I am proud to be a part of the SDSU family where character counts! We don't sweep things under the rug.
We are getting better every day. I expect that to continue far into our D-I future.

The legal system will sort out the facts from the speculation. I trust that appropriate measures will be taken to punish any and all that are guilty of any wrong-doings.

I do not know that the same is true for more liberal minded communities and schools. I hope it is!

JBNJBQ

[JackJD]

Re: Never a dull moment

JBNJBQ:

Yes, even us liberal Jackrabbits can be tough on crime!

[JBNJBQ]

Re: Never a dull moment

JBNJBQ:

Yes, even us liberal Jackrabbits can be tough on crime!  

That's what I like to hear!   8) 8) 8) 8) 8)

[jackmd]

Re: Never a dull moment

JBNJBQ:

Yes, even us liberal Jackrabbits can be tough on crime!  

I'm in the same corner as JackJD being of the liberal mindset. There can be no tolerance for this alleged behavior. He deserves a fair shake but must be willing to accept the courts decision, whatever that might be.

[SDSUFAN]

Re: Never a dull moment

Having been in Brookings over the weekend and having access to the print version of the Sioux Falls Argus, my pariondia went wild when on the front page of the sports section was the above story posted, but at the top of the page was a story about USD athletes winning seven post graduate NCAA scholarships. Was it coincidental that both articles were ran the same day?
It sure has me wondering. Oh well lets go forward. ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ???

[JackJD]

Re: Never a dull moment

The NCAA Post-Graduate scholarships are a big deal and USD is rightfully entitled to be proud. Note that the scholarships went to USD track athletes, coached by Dave Gottsleben, a '76 grad of SDSU and a sprinter on State's highly-successful track teams coached by Jay Dirksen.

I do not want to diminish at all the importance of those scholarships. If SDSU students had received the same awards, we'd want to see the headlines. But (dontcha just hate is when somebody puts "but" in there like that!), I have the following additional thoughts:

1. The timing of the two stories was coincidental. I have a son at USD who printed out the release of the USD scholarship award recipients without knowing the story on the former SDSU basketball player was breaking on the same day.

2. Timing is one thing...placement of the story on the sports page is a discretionary call by the Argus staff. (Personally, I'm not critical of the placement of the stories. I do not believe the story of the former SDSU athlete will have any negative impact on SDSU. Certainly it is newsworthy.)

2. The scholarships are awarded by an NCAA committee based on a number of factors. They are for post-graduate studies. Note that one of the students had a G.P.A. of 3.5 but is going on to a post-graduate degree. Compare that to SDSU's Kevin Doe, an All-American runner (both as a runner and All-American Academic) who graduated with a 4.0 in electrical engineering. Kevin has his terminal degree and has successfully entered the workforce. We have students in terminal-degree programs (pharmacy, for example) who have extremely high g.p.a.'s but will not apply for those scholarships because they will graduate with their doctorates.

Congrats to the USD students. That's what it's all about: doing well in school while competing at a high level. Their success does nothing to diminish the great success of SDSU student athletes.

[jackmd]

Re: Never a dull moment

I certainly agree that the USD students are to be commended and I believe SDSUFAN would say the same. His point about placement of the articles is well taken, but I think both are front page sports material. This is a case of coincidents, it happens.

SDSU can and will survive these latest indiscretions. At any great institution where a diverse poplution of individuals interact on a day-to-day basis there are proud moments and not so proud moments. How the institution and its members deal with these respective moments is what determines its ultimate legacy.

In the future, when I look back on the year 2004, I won't remember Anthony Robinson, Marquise Richardson, or even Dr. Oien's difficulty. I will remember it as the year that SDSU took a monumental step forward into the DI ranks. I suspect the same will be said for most affiliated with SDSU, whether in support of the move or oppossed.