Kendrick Nunn Dismissed by Illinois: Latest Details, Comments and Reaction

The University of Illinois announced the dismissal of starting shooting guard Kendrick Nunn on Tuesday after he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor domestic battery last Wednesday.   

"We have made the decision to dismiss [Nunn] from the men's basketball team, effective immediately," the school said in a statement, per ESPN.com. "We have not reached this decision easily; we care deeply about Kendrick and want him to be successful. But after extensive deliberation, we think it best for our program to reaffirm our core values of trust and respect, to send a strong message about what is acceptable behavior for our student-athletes at the University of Illinois, and to part ways with [Nunn]."

Nunn, 20, was accused of hitting a woman in the head and pushing her to the floor. The school placed him on indefinite suspension in March following his arrest. As part of Nunn's plea deal with prosecutors, his charge will be dropped from his record if he completes 100 hours of community service, stays out of trouble for 18 months and enters a program for partner abuse.

"I am embarrassed because it's not the person I am. I should not be here," Nunn said while entering his plea, per the News-Gazette's Mark Schenk.

A Chicago native, Nunn arrived at Illinois amid much fanfare. He was the second-best player in the state of Illinois, per 247Sports' composite rankings, and the No. 56 overall player. The Big Ten named him to its All-Freshman team for the 2013-14 season, and Nunn has notably improved each of his three seasons in Champaign. Nunn led the Illini in points per game (15.5) and rebounds (5.0) as a junior.

He will have one year of eligibility remaining if he continues playing college basketball. Nunn has not spoken publicly since the decision was announced.

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