Illinois coach tweets support for Terrence Shannon Jr. with photo

Shannon Jr. transferred to Illinois in 2022-2023, molding himself into a likely first round pick in this month’s NBA Draft. 

Shannon Jr. thrived behind the tutelage of Underwood, finishing with career highs of 17.2 and 23.0 points per game in Champagne, Illinois during his two seasons with the Fighting Illini. 

The 6-foot-6, 225-pound senior guard/forward was projected to go 23rd overall to the New Orleans Pelicans in a mock draft released earlier this week. Shannon Jr. has been mocked as high as pick 12 to the hometown Chicago Bulls. 

The Chicago native has shown he has what it takes to play his best basketball in big game situations, scoring 34 points to lead Illinois past the Wisconsin Badgers in the Big Ten Tournament championship game this past March. 

Shannon Jr. averaged 23 points and four rebounds this past season while shooting almost 48% from the field. 

The amount of support from Shannon Jr.’s teammates has been overwhelming in recent weeks.

Shannon Jr.’s attorney, Tricia Bath, said it was “a travesty that it took this long for justice to be achieved in this case.”

“I think the jury rendered a correct verdict, but I don’t think we ever should have been here,” she said, according to the Chicago Tribune. 

Shannon Jr. testified on Thursday as family members looked on, vehemently denying the allegations.

“I never touched, grabbed, pulled over … That did not happen,” Shannon Jr. said to the jury in response to accusations made by an 18-year-old woman he allegedly met a Kansas bar.