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Terrence Shannon suspended
Thursday brought news that could affect the rest of the hoops season as the Illinois star is out indefinitely for alleged rape. Plus, we recap conference openers and highlight potential upsets for this weekend.
Tristan Freeman
December 29, 2023
Conference play kicked off for some leagues west of the Mississippi on Thursday night, but those games paled in comparison to news from off the court.
Let's get to it.
1. Terrence Shannon Jr. suspended indefinitely
Illinois indefinitely suspended senior Terrence Shannon Jr. on Thursday after he was charged for rape.
The school released this statement:
“On Wednesday, the Douglas (Kansas) County District Attorney issued a warrant for the arrest of Terrence Shannon Jr. Per policy, the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics (DIA) has suspended Shannon from all team activities, effective immediately.
“Shannon is charged with rape, as defined under applicable Kansas law. The alleged incident occurred while Shannon visited Lawrence, Kansas, to attend the Illinois at Kansas football game, played on the evening of Friday, Sept. 8, as a spectator. He was not in Lawrence on official University business, nor was he a member of the University’s travel party.
Shannon traveled to Lawrence on Thursday where he presented himself to authorities. Per Douglas County booking records, he was booked for a charge of “rape; sexual intercourse without consent and use of force,” and posted a $50,000 bail.
Shannon’s attorney, Mark P. Sutter, released a statement saying that his client is “innocent of these charges.”
“Since September, when these allegations surfaced, Terrence has cooperated with law enforcement throughout the investigation, declaring his innocence from the beginning,” the statement read. “Several months later, my office learned that formal charges were filed against him yesterday in Lawrence, KS. In less than 24 hours, my client responded, and he voluntarily surrendered to local authorities for processing and release.”
Shannon, a senior guard, had been thriving on the court this season, leading the team with 21.7 points per game on 41% shooting beyond the arc, both career bests.
No. 16 Illinois (9-2) plays Fairleigh Dickinson tonight. The school will hold a press conference tonight prior to the game. But it seems unlikely Shannon will be playing anytime soon. The school also released this statement:
"The University and DIA take allegations of sexual misconduct seriously while respecting due process and the presumption of innocence afforded through the legal system.
"DIA and Urbana campus officials have been aware of a Lawrence police investigation into Shannon since late September but, until Wednesday, had yet to receive actionable information. Shannon’s arrest triggers the DIA student-athlete misconduct policy. Under that policy, Shannon has been immediately suspended from all team activities. Any change to Shannon’s status will be communicated in a timely manner."
What does Illinois do now? That was the question for the After Dark crew.