Washington star Long released from jail
Deontay Long is coming home. Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Pedro Colon released the Milwaukee Washington High School basketball standout Monday after Long served six months of a 12-month jail term for his role in an armed robbery that took place in June 2017.
The release came during a review hearing in which Colon, as part of the release, required Long to earn A's and B's in his classes as well as to stay away from negative influences.
If Long fails to meet those standards when Colon reviews the case in January, Long will be required to serve three more months in jail.
“I need you to stay focused, not just on basketball, but on you and your grades and all the people around you, so that they’re safe and you’re safe,” Colon said.
Long’s release is the latest chapter of a situation that started when he and a group of teenagers robbed a sandwich delivery driver of $140. The then-17year-old was charged as an adult for the Class C felony.
Per Milwaukee Public Schools' athletic code, Long, 18, sat out 25 percent of his next athletic season, cross country, and with the exception of games played out of state, was available to play for the Purgolders basketball team as the case worked its way through the courts.
The case eventually drew wider attention as Washington reached the state tournament and Long, who awaited sentencing after a guilty plea in January, continued to play.
The 6-foot-5 guard/forward averaged 29 points, seven rebounds and seven assists per game and received a number of honors, including City Conference player of the year, first-team allarea by the Journal Sentinel and allstate recognition from the Associated Press and Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association.
“I’ve learned a lot,” Long told the judge during the hearing. “I learned that education comes first before anything and I just hope that I can get out, finish school and make my family proud.”
The situation caused MPS to add a clause to its athletic code of conduct. It now reads that a student-athlete who pleads guilty to or is found guilty of a felony is ineligible to compete for one calendar year from the date of the conviction.
The WIAA could make changes, too. A proposed constitutional change would make ineligible for WIAA tournaments any student-athlete who is charged or convicted for a felony.
“God knows I received a lot of messages about you from all kinds of people in the community, and apparently some people were supportive that you played in the last tournament and some people were dismayed that something may have happened in such a case,” Colon said.
“Frankly it’s not a legal determination for me to make and I’m not concerned with any of that nonsense, but I am concerned with you succeeding.”
Long, who is a senior in high school, will return to Washington. Purgolderscoach Freddie Riley, who was among family members, teammates and coaches in the courtroom Monday, said Long has been receiving class work from his teachers at Washington while in jail.
Long became an honor roll student after he was charged in the robbery.
“(Last year) he made a commitment to being on the honor roll, staying out of trouble, stuff like that. He did it. He held it down," Riley said. "He told the judge he’s going to do it again and I believe him.”