URBANA, Ill. (AP) – University of Illinois basketball player Jamar Smith pleaded not guilty Friday to felony charges of drunken driving and leaving the scene of an accident.

Smith faces a maximum of 12 years in prison and a $25,000 fine if convicted. He entered the plea in Champaign County Circuit Court.

Smith, a 19-year-old sophomore guard from Peoria, was driving a Lexus in snowy conditions on Feb. 12 when the car struck a tree. Authorities say Smith and his passenger, teammate Brian Carlwell, had been drinking tequila and beer before the crash.

Smith, who is too young to drink legally, had a blood-alcohol level of .176 after the crash, more than twice the legal limit of .08, prosecutors say.

Authorities say Smith, who allegedly believed Carlwell was dead, left the accident scene and drove the damaged car back to his apartment. Bystanders saw the car with an unconscious Carlwell inside and called police.

The accident left Carlwell, 19, hospitalized for several days with a severe concussion.

Smith has agreed to sit out the remainder of the basketball season.

Associate Judge Richard Klaus set a pretrial hearing for Smith for April 5.