If I were to say the name Leonard Washington to you, one of two things would probably pop into your head: You’d either a) recall one of the many iconic characters from Chapelle’s Show, or b) the kid from USC that gave Blake Griffin a shot to the jujubees.
You might be surprised to find out that Washington, who got the boot from USC back in March of 2010, actually landed on his feet. The scrappy, 6-foot-7 forward wound up at Wyoming, where he was the Cowboy’s leading scorer and rebounder as they experienced a resurgence under first-year head coach Larry Shyatt. A second-team all-MWC selection, Washington was expected to play a pivotal role as Wyoming made a push to become a relevant program.
That goal was sidetracked back in early April, however, as Washington was suspended indefinitely by Shyatt for the always troublesome “unspecified violation of team rules”.
In an effort to get back into his coach’s good graces, Washington decided to ... roll up to a house and start punching people?:Forward Leonard Washington, who was Wyoming’s leading scorer last season, has been sentenced on criminal entry and battery charges.
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According to court documents, Washington pleaded guilty to the two charges stemming from a fight on April 15 in which he was accused of entering a house in Laramie and striking an individual.
Washington received a one month suspended sentence pending a year of probation and a $530 fine.
It’s not yet known how this will affect Washington’s status on the Wyoming team, but Shyatt did say, “We are very much aware of this situation and have been monitoring it closely with Leonard.”
With three starters graduating Shyatt needs Washington in the program. But will he be willing to give Washington a third chance?
Rob Dauster is the editor of the college basketball website Ballin’ is a Habit. You can find him on twitter @robdauster.