Big Ten teams won five NCAA titles from 1976 to 1989, but they have won just one in the last 19 years (Michigan State in 2000).

What happened? More important, what can the Big Ten do to get back on top? Or has the turnaround already begun and is all of this fretting much ado about nothing?

Read more from the Chicago Sun Times.

So the 6-foot-8, 220-pound high school junior - who committed to the Illinois basketball program last winter - cut down on his AAU season and made it a priority to build his body and his game.

By concentrating on the Adidas Nations program - a series of weekend development camps where improving skills and fundamentals comes before competition - the suburban St. Louis forward from Lafayette High School took a different approach in preparing for college.

“It’s physically impossible to do all the trips I planned,” he said. “I put together a calendar. I would have been home two weekends the whole summer. We made the Adidas Nations a priority. It’s a good experience. I get a lot of coaching there. The workouts are really beneficial.

“I’ve done AAU since I was a seventh-grader. I’ve been to all the major tournaments at least twice. The biggest need for my game right now is in the weight room or the gym working on my skills. I know where I’m going to college. I don’t have to impress anybody. (Illinois coach Bruce Weber) knows what I’m doing and how hard I’m working.”

Richmond led his Rising Stars Gold team to the championship game of the King James Classic before falling to Boston based B.A.B.C. Despite the relatively modest numbers posted throughout the tournament (averaged around 12 points per game in the 3 games we took in), it was easy to see why recruiting analysts consider him a top 10 player in his class.

Standing a legit 6’6 and blessed with long arms, he already owns a physical package that not many college seniors can offer. Throw in a frame that could easily add another 20 pounds and a very strong lower body, and it’s easy to see why he stands apart from the bulk of other wings in the class of 2010. The Illini commit was forced to play out of position for a large part of the tournament, playing power forward for much of the time that we observed him in Akron due to his squad‘s lack of size. However, there were spurts of time where he played on the wing and we were able to get a glimpse of the special player he has the potential to become.

The first thing that immediately stood out about Jereme is his outstanding athleticism, especially his ability to finish around the rim. His undeveloped upper body is compensated by his strong legs and explosive leaping ability from a static position, a rarity from a player so young. This power enabled him to finish nearly everything around the rim, whether it be from his own drives to the cup or putbacks from crashing the offensive glass. Not only one to score in the paint, he also showed off a silky smooth jumper out to the three point line and an explosive first step when attacking the rim. The tools boasted by the lanky wing backed up the herald he has received thus far at such a young age.

Like many young players, Richmond’s ball handling could use a bit of work. He didn’t put the ball on the floor more than a few times in a straight line and looked a bit uncomfortable when pressured with the ball in his hands. Consistency issues have also plagued Jereme in the past, especially on the defensive side of the court. While all of the natural tools are there for him to be a very nice defender, he often looks disinterested on this end and relies completely on his athleticism.

More concerning then his weaknesses on the court are those unrelated to the game of basketball. Richmond was thrown off his high school team in February after having a heated argument with his head coach, which was reportedly one of many incidents involving this talented youngster. These issues will ultimately prove to be more crucial then Jereme’s game on court game, but Michael Beasley has shown that talented players with consistency and character issues can turn things around when placed in the right situations. Having just turned 16 years old, time is certainly on Richmond’s side but he will definitely need to resolve problems if he hopes to live up to the star billing that has preceded him thus far.

Paul (9 points), playing for Richmond’s opponent on this day, also made his bones on the AAU circuit, where he was courted by Bruce Weber and the Illini.

This is Nickerson’s second year playing AAU, and he’s come to like it even better than playing high-school ball.

“It’s way more physical and aggressive,” said the Waukegan junior, who came on strong for the Bulldogs in the second half of the year. “Players are way more hungry because it’s more of a showcase for college scouts. And the competition’s better. It makes it more challenging.”

Rising Stars took the game courtesy of a Richmond steal and assist on the winning basket.

The closing flourish by Waukegan’s star player came in a game where he scored zero points and attempted one shot.

“It really doesn’t matter,” Richmond said afterward. “Our team won.”

The Illini-bound sophomore said he’s using the AAU season to work on his “mid-range game.”

AAU ball is where Richmond made his mark.

Nursing an injury, Crandall Head spent most of the second half on the bench as his Mac Irvin Fire team beat the Atlanta Celtics. The game before against Team STAT, he showed why Illinois locked him up early with a couple of big time athletic plays. He’s a freaky athlete that has a couple of wow moments up his sleeve for every game he plays in.

Team NLP is in the Elite Eight because they are a great team anchored by a very good player in Illinois bound Brandon Paul. The 6-foot-3 guard is a slasher supreme and did all of his damage at the rim with some athletic plays.

He got to the basket any time he wanted to. Paul’s first step to the basket has been tough to defend and his confidence is growing by the game. He put in 26 points on Indiana Elite in the first round of the tournament.

For the second straight weekend, D.J. Richardson is playing at a high level.

Richardson has mastered the baseline floater and goes to it often. On three straight possessions, Richardson scored with the floater, hit a mid range shot off the glass and converted a pair of free throws. Late in the second half, he hit a lay-up, nailed a floater and buried a three-pointer. The future Illinois guard has a variety of moves to go to as a scorer. The Warriors have had great success because of his ability to score points in so many ways.

Richardson has great chemistry with backcourt mate Darius Smith, who continues to shine on the big stage. The 6-foot-1 point guard has a great feel with the ball in his hands. His speed with the ball in his hands is one of his best strengths and he knives through the defense with few problems. Smith is a great ball-handler and a strong defender. A shooter he’s not but he’s solid in nearly everything else. For a class where the point guards are still trying to find it’s collective voice, Smith’s call has been heard in April.

Winning in overtime against Richardson and Smith was a hard fought battle for the Kansas State bound duo of Wally Judge and Rodney McGruder.

The Rising Stars struggled offensively as the team’s three top scorers combined for just 23 points. Notre Dame commitment Jack Cooley led the way with 12 points and eight rebounds.

Illinois commitment Jereme Richmond scored seven points on three of 12 shooting. Nik Garcia added eight points. He didn’t have his usual hot hand on the wing, hitting just two of nine from deep. Marcus Jordan scored eight points in the defeat.

 Illinois landed the 6-foot-3 guard early because they loved his scoring touch and athleticism. That was clearly on display over the weekend. He enjoyed a strong weekend of play thanks in large part to his team’s overall fundamentals and unselfishness.

Paul did most of his work at the rim as a slasher and his first step allowed him to get to the basket with little trouble. His perimeter touch didn’t get a chance to be seen only because of his success with slashing.