BOSTON — Terrence Shannon Jr., the star guard who led the University of Illinois to its first Sweet 16 appearance in 19 years, remained silent Wednesday.
He then returned from suspension in the third week of January on advice from his lawyer.
Shannon shined on the court for the third-seeded Illini, leading the team to the Big Ten Tournament crown and averaging 28 points and four assists in two NCAA Tournament games.
Off the court it’s a different matter.
The 6-foot-6 Chicago native faces rape and other counts for an alleged sexual assault that occurred on Sept. 9 at a bar in Lawrence, Kansas.
Shannon was in town to watch the Illinois football team play Kansas State.
He finally returned after a six-game suspension after a federal judge granted Illinois a temporary restraining order forcing him to return.
U.S. District Judge Colleen Lawless ruled that the suspension violated Shannon’s civil rights and that he would “suffer irreparable harm” if he was unable to rejoin the team.
Shannon allegedly grabbed the woman’s buttocks, put his hand under her skirt and made sexual contact with her.
A graduate assistant for the Illinois basketball team said he was with Shannon on the night in question but did not see what the woman described.
On January 2, he wrote a letter to the University of Illinois Student-Athlete Conduct Board in which he declared his innocence.
Mr. Shannon is scheduled to appear in court again in May.
Third-seeded Illinois State will play second-seeded Iowa State in the Sweet 16 on Thursday night at TD Garden.
“As I’ve said many times, I’m a college basketball coach. When I found out, it was Josh Whitman, the athletic director, who let me know,” said University of Illinois coach Brad Underwood. When asked what his initial reaction was to the allegations, he said: “Then it was a decision made by the university and then obviously it went to court and I have said all along that I am going to coach the players that are in the locker room. We were going to be the best supporters we could be. We had to find a way to get through those tough times and succeed.
“Then when he came back and joined us, he was part of our team again. He’s always been a great teammate. We got him back and today we’re sitting here. Masu.”
Earlier this month, Underwood said Shannon was handling everything “like a professional.”
In his fifth and final year as a college basketball player, he had a great season, averaging a career-best 23.3 points, shooting 48.1 percent from the field, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.3 assists.
Shannon will soon have her day in court.
A preliminary hearing date is set for May 10.
