Athlete (2001-2003) Michael Southall

[NewsCopy]

Basketball phenom violates probation for drug offense

A once-promising basketball career could be over for a former All-State player from West Salem who was ordered Friday to spend a year in La Crosse County jail for violating probation on a 2000 drug conviction.

"What a waste. What an absolute waste," La Crosse County Circuit Judge Ramona Gonzalez said Friday before sentencing 22-year-old Michael Southall.

Southall, who was a first-team All-State selection in 2000 and was working to get back on the court after a promising first year at Division I University of Louisiana, pleaded with the judge to give him one more chance.

He and his parents, Benjamin and Lorna Southall, told the judge Southall's attitude had changed with the birth of his son earlier this month.

"He's my heir. He's everything to me. I know I have a big responsibility now and I have to bring him up right," Southall said.

He said he wanted to put his legal problems behind him, go back to school, help raise his son and, if it works out, play basketball again.

But an emotional Gonzalez scolded Southall for blowing every opportunity he was given since his legal problems began, and for hurting everyone who cared for him or tried to help.

Although her first instinct was to give Southall prison time, Gonzalez said she cooled down and realized the punishment would not fit the crime.

"Lucky for you, I have yet to send someone to prison for a first offense," Gonzalez told Southall.

Instead, Gonzalez ordered Southall to begin serving his jail sentence immediately and said he will spend the first six months without Huber privileges. Southall hugged both his parents and was led away to jail.

The sentence could bring Southall's college basketball career to an end.

The rest of the story

La Crosse Tribune
DAN SPRINGER
(608) 791-8269
dspringer@lacrossetribune.com.

[NewsCopy]

Former University of Kentucky basketball recruit Michael Southall was ordered Friday to spend a year in jail for violating probation on a 2000 drug conviction, the La Crosse (Wis.) Tribune reported.

The rest of the UK story

[NewsCopy]

It's another sad chapter in the life of former West Salem basketball star Michael Southall. He is in jail tonight for violating the conditions of his plea agreement. In 2000 Southall pleaded guilty to Marijuana delivery charges. Since then he has repeatedly broken the rules, abusing both drugs and alcohol. Southall told the judge he realizes the consiquences of what he has done and the impact that it had on his family.

The source of the TV story

[Zeebart21]

What a stupid S O B.....

what a waste.....

Z.

[bigearl]

TOTAL IDIOT... HOW COULD HE BLOW THIS OPPORTUNITY? MS, get your life back together no matter what it takes...for your son.

Good luck and good riddance........

[1stTake]

Originally posted by NewsCopy
"What a waste. What an absolute waste,"

I wake up Memorial Day 2004 to see this? This guy is athe worst freaking idiot. Who did he get pregnant some poor Lafayette girl?

[CajunRebel]

Southall does not deserve to be on our basketball team. I was very happy with Jessie giving him a second chance here, because there is nothing wrong with a second chance. But he blew it. Come to think of it, he blew it quite a few times.

Oh what could have been.
If we had Southall last season, very few teams would have been able to stop us. His dominance inside on both sides of the ball, coupled with our outside shooting threats and quick D. Wow.

On another note, I really wonder about people like Southall. Im not a psychologist or anything, but I don't think you can blame his pattern of problems on sheer stupidity. His problems obviously go way beyond that. There are some people who just can't follow the right path. No matter how much they have going for them, no matter how many chances they are given to turn things around, they just don't do it.

If any of you have a good knowledge about psychology or sociology I would be curious to hear your opinions on Southall.

[Cajun Express]

why not simply let the guy go without the bashing. we bashed him all year long and he was never a part of the team since the last game we lost in the nit.

this probation violation has been on the agenda for a long time.

many people have no control. we call these people addicts, and it can be food,drugs, or behavior. they all have one thing in common, they will not respond to outside pressure or encouragement. they either will or won't get a hold of their lives on their own time line. many get it after being bashed in the head, others are like the smoker still smoking while they are taking oxygen and hacking up blood.

[Turbine]

Originally posted by cajun_express
why not simply let the guy go without the bashing.

Was Judge Ramona Gonzalez wrong for calling him a waste or an absolute waste?

She has been following his case longer than any of us.

I know she had no choice, as a part of the legal system she had to comment.

[NCAA or BUST]

These are old violations, Mike has learned his lessons. Can he come back in a year after doing his time? I sure hope so

[Rebel02]

Originally posted by NCAA or BUST
These are old violations, Mike has learned his lessons. Can he come back in a year after doing his time? I sure hope so

Please tell me that was sarcasm? Come on, the man has had 3 years to change his life around and has done ~~~~!!!! He is waste of unbelievable talent. I say good riddance to MS. I don't ever want to see him in the state of Louisiana again. He can stay up in Wisconsin with his buddies and his family which he apparently thinks will change his life completely. Nothing will change this guy. He will always be a bum.

GEAUX CAJUNS!!!

[RaginCajun77]

Some may know and others may not, but I am a UL student and work full-time at an Alcohol and Drug Rehab and I see guys who have tons of potential every day. However having potential and using that potential to do the right thing are often two very diffrent things. Michael Southall could be entering his senior season at UL but he chose another path. Going to jail isn't easy and often it further instills a mentality of hopelessness. I can only hope Michael Southall wakes up one morning and realizes what he had and what he still has the opportunity to do and makes the right choice.