UI Basketball Player Green May Get Prison

Jevon Green, the prize recruit on last season’s University of Idaho basketball team, may be headed to state prison.

Green was arrested and briefly jailed last weekend in Moscow for numerous alleged violations of his probation for a grand theft conviction in Latah County. He was released on $5,000 bond and is due back in court on Monday.

In April, 2nd District Judge John Bengtson fined Green, placed him on five years probation and warned Green that any violation of his probation could result in immediate imposition of a prison sentence of up to 14 years for grand theft.

According to court documents, Green allegedly violated his probation by throwing a telephone and answering machine out of a University of Idaho women’s dormitory, moving without permission, leaving the state without permission and stealing or possessing several cases of beer.

Idaho head basketball coach Joe Cravens said on Wednesday that he was unaware of many details regarding Green’s latest problems.

Cravens and Idaho athletic director Pete Liske said they have not decided yet whether Green will be permanently kicked off the team. However, Cravens said, “I’m willing to help anyone who’s willing to help himself. He hasn’t exactly shown the ability to help himself.”

Cravens and Liske previously said Green would be allowed back on the basketball team only if he followed a strict set of rules.

“Obviously, he’s got a lot of problems and concerns he’s got to take care of,” Liske said. “Unfortunately, he doesn’t appear to be doing so.”

Court documents state that Green was placed on probation six times as a juvenile, including two times for possession of cocaine, and violated each of his six previous probation orders. He also was arrested after an Idaho game in Seattle last December for probation violations in Washington, and later served time in Seattle and Moscow.

Green led Washington high school players during the 1993-94 season by averaging 32 points per game at Seattle’s Nathan Hale High School. He was suspended during his freshman season at Idaho last December after averaging 4.5 points per game in limited duty.