Terrence Shannon Jr. is Finally Receiving His Due Recognition
Happy Sunday, Illinois Land.
No. 0 is heading to the rafters.
Before making my case, I want to state that not only should Terrence Shannon Jr. have his number retired, but he should also be considered among the best Illinois players of all time.
I won’t dive into statistics to compare Shannon with other players whose numbers have been retired.
Shannon undoubtedly had the best individual season in the program’s history.
Illinois’s decision to change its jersey retirement policy to honor Shannon is commendable. It serves as an unspoken apology. I won’t reference George Costanza and James Spader from Seinfeld here.
You’ll never hear the words “we’re sorry,” “we apologize,” or “we were wrong” from anyone at Illinois. This isn’t due to the people involved but because of potential future legal implications.
Illinois likely wants to avoid another legal battle like the one Shannon and his legal team won to allow his return to the court. More on that later.
I understand. Illinois values its money.
The policy that led to Shannon’s automatic suspension, based on the severity of the charges, was designed to prevent future legal troubles and potential monetary damages.
But at what cost were these savings achieved? You tell me.
Three names are crucial: Josh Whitman, Brad Underwood, and Terrence Shannon Jr.
Three things that don’t matter: Kansas courtroom, national coverage, felony rape.
These names will forever be linked in Illinois basketball history for various reasons. We can’t cover all those reasons now.
These issues must be mentioned, not to provide context, but to move beyond it.
Illinois Director of Athletics Josh Whitman recently announced that Shannon Jr.’s jersey would be hung in the rafters at State Farm Center.
Brad Underwood, the second name, is the link between Whitman and Shannon. Underwood didn’t seek this role but didn’t shy away from it either.
Like Shannon, Underwood’s involvement should be viewed in the proper context: on the court.
Underwood and Whitman did their jobs well, protecting the institution, not the individuals, by contract.
At the end of the day, Shannon’s senior season was saved by a judge named Lawless due to Shannon’s multiple NIL deals.
Shannon returned to play because, like Whitman and Underwood, he was just doing his job.
Terrence Shannon Jr. deserves his jersey in the rafters. He deserves to be a First Team All-American and to be mentioned as Player of the Year. He deserves to have his name cleared permanently.
This is the highest honor an Illinois basketball player can receive. Next time you’re at State Farm Center, look up by the scoreboard and see the names that hang there.
Whitman’s announcement follows Shannon being named Male Athlete of the Year at the university and being promoted on official social media for the first time since the incident.
Despite not being named a consensus All-American, Shannon’s number is being retired. Whitman called it “our policy” but made an exception for Shannon’s No. 0.
The exception was created by the University for the University. Illinois would likely handle things differently if given a do-over. If it were up to Underwood, Shannon might have played every game this season.
Whitman and Underwood’s posts on social media were sincere. Both would pass a polygraph test.
Let’s bring in a fourth name: Warren Buffet. He famously said that “errors of omission” are much greater than “errors of commission.”
The coverage of the charges against Shannon was extensive: ESPN, FOX, ABC, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook.
Every platform had commentators discussing the case with scorn and disdain, maintaining this coverage for weeks, if not months.
I doubt I’ll ever hear the phrase “serious charges” as often as I have since December when the charges were made public between Christmas and New Year’s to try Shannon in the court of public opinion.
The strategy worked perfectly. Everyone needed content; no one needed the details.
As details of the case emerged slowly, the events of that night started to take shape.
Some details had to be taken with a grain of salt, and objectivity was hard for Illinois fans. Over time, it became clearer that the accuser’s story likely fit the Kansas legal definition of rape.
It seemed like the charges would be dropped at any moment.
I’d wager that most people who knew about the charges didn’t realize the accusation involved digital penetration, which constitutes rape under Kansas law.
Most assumed “felonious rape” was like what is depicted on “Law & Order” or “CSI.”
After enduring a hellish ordeal, Shannon remained calm and composed.
When Shannon returned against Rutgers and received a standing ovation, it was the right move.
As time passes, expect apologies to trickle in from the media.
In a related column, The One and Only Pleas offers a theory on why this might be. That’s not my story to tell. Pleas tells it perfectly. Read it.
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