Illinois basketball star Terrence Shannon Jr. has been suspended from all team activities after he was charged with rape.
A warrant was issued for Shannon’s arrest on Wednesday by the Douglas County district attorney’s office in Kansas. Shannon turned himself in on Thursday on a charge of “rape; sexual intercourse without consent and use of force,” according to ESPN’s Myron Medcalf. The senior posted $50,000 bail and planned to return to Illinois.
Illinois said in a statement that the alleged incident took place in September when Shannon was in Lawrence, Kansas, to attend the Illinois-Kansas State football game. Shannon was “not in Lawrence on official University business, nor was he a member of the University’s travel party,” according to the school.
University officials said they were aware of the investigation involving Shannon but that they did not receive “actionable information” until the arrest warrant was issued. Illinois athletic director Josh Whitman said the school has “zero tolerance for sexual misconduct” but that student-athletes are afforded “appropriate levels of due process based on the nature and severity of the allegations.”
Shannon’s attorney, Mark P. Sutter, said in a statement that Shannon has cooperated with authorities since the allegations were made in September. Sutter said Shannon is “innocent of these charges, and he intends to take his case to trial.”
Shannon, who transferred to Illinois from Texas Tech following the 2020-21 season, is averaging a team-high 21.7 points per game. He has been the 11th-ranked Illini’s best player.
