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CHAMPAIGN — Illinois suspended men’s basketball player Terrence Shannon Jr. on Thursday after he was charged with rape in connection with an incident that is alleged to have happened when the school’s football team played at Kansas in September.
The school suspended Shannon from “all team activities, effective immediately,” a day after the Douglas (Kansas) County District Attorney issued a warrant for his arrest. The incident is alleged to have happened when he attended the Illini’s football game at Kansas on Sept. 8. He was not part of the school’s traveling party.
Illinois said Shannon traveled to Lawrence, Kansas, on Thursday and turned himself in to authorities. He posted bail and was returning to Champaign.
“The University and DIA (Division of Intercollegiate Athletics) have shown time and again that we have zero tolerance for sexual misconduct,” athletic director Josh Whitman said in a statement. “At the same time, DIA policy affords student-athletes appropriate levels of due process based on the nature and severity of the allegations. We will rely on that policy and our prior experiences to manage this situation appropriately for the University and the involved parties.”
The school said it has been aware since late September that police in Lawrence were investigating Shannon but had “yet to receive actionable information” until Wednesday.
Shannon’s attorney Mark P. Sutton issued a statement on behalf of his client Thursday.
“Since September, when these allegations surfaced, Terrence has cooperated with law enforcement throughout the investigation, declaring his innocence from the beginning. Now, 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. Terrence is innocent of these charges, and he intends to take his case to trial.”
In his second season at Illinois after three years at Texas Tech, Shannon is second in the Big Ten in scoring at 21.7 points per game. A Chicago native, Shannon played at Lincoln Park High before transferring to the IMG Academy in Florida.
No. 11 Illinois has a home game against Fairleigh Dickinson on Friday. Whitman is scheduled to address the media prior to the game. Coach Brad Underwood’s availability with reporters on Thursday was canceled.
