After much speculation by Illinois fans on social media, athletic director Josh Whitman told reporters on Thursday that Terrence Shannon Jr.’s No. 0 jersey will hang in the rafters at the State Farm Center.
“Given the season that he (Shannon) had, one of the great seasons in the history of our program, it was clear to anybody who follows college basketball that he was one of the top-10 players in the country — probably one of the top two or three players in the country,” Whitman said.
Shannon averaged 23 points per game during his final season of college basketball and broke an Illinois men’s basketball record for the most points in a season, ending the year with 736 points. The former Illini star was also named the Big Ten Tournament Most Outstanding Player after Illinois won the title and led his team to an Elite Eight finish in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2005.
However, Shannon’s name was dragged into controversy when he was suspended for six games due to rape charges stemming from a September 2023 trip he took to Lawrence, Kansas. Shannon filed a lawsuit against the University and the judge granted him an injunction, allowing him to return to play. After an almost six-month legal battle, Shannon was found not guilty by a jury last week.
Shannon was not named as a consensus All-American despite his stellar on-court performance due to his unresolved charges, according to Whitman. Being selected as a consensus All-American is a criterion for an Illinois basketball player’s jersey to be honored. The recent clearing of Shannon’s name, however, opened the doors for an exception, allowing his jersey to join an exclusive club of Illinois basketball legends, including Chicago Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu and three-time NBA All-Star Deron Williams, above the court in the State Farm Center.
Get The Daily Illini in your inbox!
“We’re excited to grant an exception there and look forward to celebrating him once he gets a sense of where he’s going to be and what his schedule looks like — letting our fans thank him for all that he’s done in helping advance this program,” Whitman said.
The University caught a lot of flack from fans on social media when Shannon was suspended in December, and there has been a lot of discussion over whether or not the right decision was made to let him take the court with active criminal charges but no completed hearing or trial. Whitman acknowledged that he and his staff are looking to potentially alter the student-athlete misconduct policy before school starts in August.
“We’re working with different groups on campus, campus counsel, trying to determine what changes, if any, would be appropriate to the policy,” Whitman said. “We’ll have a slightly-modified approach most likely as we head into the new year.”
Shannon will become the 36th men’s basketball player to have their jersey honored at Illinois. He is projected to be selected anywhere from the middle of the first round to the beginning of the second round in the 2024 NBA Draft next week.
@sahil_mittal24
