Illinois' Terrence Shannon Jr. Suspended After Being Charged with Rape

Illinois suspended senior guard Terrence Shannon Jr. indefinitely from all team activities Thursday after he was charged Wednesday in connection to an alleged rape in Lawrence, Kansas, in September.

He had traveled to the city to watch the football team's 34-23 loss to Kansas on Sept. 8.

Athletic director Josh Whitman said Illinois and its Division of Intercollegiate Athletics "have shown time and again that we have zero tolerance for sexual misconduct.

"At the same time, DIA policy affords student-athletes appropriate levels of due process based on the nature and severity of the allegations," Whitman said. "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 officials were aware of an investigation into Shannon since late September but "had yet to receive actionable information" until his arrest.

Shannon is in his second season with the Fighting Illini after transferring from Texas Tech in 2022. He's averaging a team-high 21.7 points along with 4.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists through 11 games.

Illinois is 9-2 to start the year, moving up to 11th in the men's Associated Press Top 25 poll with a 97-73 win over Missouri in its annual rivalry game.