Terrence Edward Shannon Jr. (born July 30, 2000) is an American professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

player for the

Minnesota Timberwolves The Minnesota Timberwolves (often referred to as the Wolves or T-wolves) are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Divisio ...

of the

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...

(NBA). He played

college basketball College basketball is basketball that is played by teams of Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. In the Higher education in the United States, United States, colleges and universities are governed by collegiate athle ...

for the

Texas Tech Red Raiders The Texas Tech Red Raiders and Lady Raiders are the athletic teams that represent Texas Tech University, located in Lubbock, Texas, United States. The women's basketball team uses the name Lady Raiders, while the school's other women's teams us ...

and the

Illinois Fighting Illini The Illinois Fighting Illini () are the College athletics, intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The university offers 10 men's and 11 women's Varsity team, varsity sports. The university op ...

Early life

Shannon was born to Treanette Redding and Terrence Shannon Sr. His mother and father separated when he was two years old. Shannon has four siblings through his mom and three through his dad.

High school career

Shannon was interested in basketball from a young age, especially after experiencing a growth spurt early in high school. He attended Lincoln Park High School in

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

, averaging 15 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game as a senior. Shannon was also a receiver on the school's

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

team. After having no

NCAA Division I NCAA Division I (D-I) is the highest division of intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States, which accepts players globally. D-I schools include the major collegiate athlet ...

basketball scholarship offers by the end of his senior season, he reclassified to the 2019 class and moved to

IMG Academy IMG Academy is a University-preparatory school, preparatory boarding school and sports training destination in Bradenton, Florida, United States. The organization is set across over 600 acres (243 ha) and features programs consisting of sport ca ...

Bradenton, Florida Bradenton ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Manatee County, Florida, Manatee County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city's population is 55,698, up from 49,546 at the 2010 census. It is a pri ...

Recruiting

His success with Mac Irvin Fire on the

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circuit drew attention from many college programs. A four-star recruit, he originally committed to DePaul before switching his commitment to

Texas Tech Texas Tech University (Texas Tech, Tech, or TTU) is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas, United States. Established on February 10, 1923, and called Texas Technological College until 1969, it is the flagship institution of the five- ...

. He chose the Red Raiders over offers from DePaul,

Florida State Florida State University (FSU or Florida State) is a Public university, public research university in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida and a preeminent university in the s ...

, Georgetown and

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

College career

Texas Tech

2019–20 season

Shannon entered his freshman season as one of Texas Tech's starting guards. On December 4, 2019, Shannon recorded a freshman season-high 24 points and eight rebounds in a 65–60 overtime loss to DePaul. As a freshman, he averaged 9.8 points and 4.1

rebounds 'Rebound' is a term used in sports to describe the ball (or puck or other object of play) becoming available for possession by either opponent after an attempt to put the ball or puck into the goal has been unsuccessful. Rebounds are generally ...

per game, earning

Big 12 Conference The Big 12 Conference is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference in the United States. It consists of 16 full-member universities (3 private universities and 13 public universities) in the states of Arizona, Colorado, Florida ...

All-Freshman Team honors.

2020–21 season

Entering his sophomore season, Shannon was named to the

Julius Erving Award The Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award is an annual basketball award given by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame to the top men's collegiate small forward. Following the success of the Bob Cousy Award which had been awarde ...

watch list. On January 30, 2021, Shannon registered his first career

double-double In basketball, a double-double is a single-game performance in which a player accumulates ten or more in two of the following five statistical categories: points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocked shots. The first "double" in the ter ...

with 23 points and 10 rebounds against

LSU Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as Louisiana State University (LSU), is an American Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louis ...

. Going into the Big 12 tournament, the Red Raiders were 9–8 in the Big 12, good enough to earn the 6-seed. During their quarterfinal matchup against

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

, Shannon played 34 minutes making four three-point field goals in way of an 18-point outing. Despite his performance, Texas Tech was eliminated by a score of 67–66. The Red Raiders were then granted the 6-seed in the South Region of the NCAA tournament. In their Round of 32 matchup against

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the West South Central region of the Southern United States. It borders Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, Texas to the southwest, and Oklahoma ...

, Shannon scored 20 points despite the Red Raiders being eliminated. As a sophomore, Shannon averaged 12.9 points, four rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 1.1 steals per game. For his efforts, he earned Third-team All-Big 12 honors. On April 8, 2021, Shannon declared for the

2021 NBA draft The 2021 NBA draft, the 75th edition of the National Basketball Association's annual NBA draft, draft, was held on July 29, 2021, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, Brooklyn, New York. The NBA draft returned to Brooklyn after 2020 NBA draft, the pre ...

while maintaining his college eligibility. He ultimately returned to Texas Tech for a third season.

2021–22 season

On November 7, Shannon was suspended indefinitely due to an eligibility review. He was reinstated on November 17, after missing three games. As a junior, he averaged 10.4 points, 2.6 rebounds, and two assists per game. On March 25, 2022, Shannon entered the

NCAA transfer portal The NCAA transfer portal is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) application, database, and compliance tool created to manage and facilitate the process for student athletes seeking to transfer between member institutions. It is i ...

Illinois

2022–23 season

On April 29, 2022, he committed to

. After his first season at Illinois, he declared for the

2023 NBA draft The 2023 NBA draft, the 77th edition of the National Basketball Association's annual NBA draft, draft, was held on June 22, 2023, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The draft consisted of 58 picks instead of the typical 60 for the second ...

and played in the NBA draft combine. He later withdrew from the draft and returned to Illinois for a second and final season.

2023–24 season

Shannon played 11 games for the Illini before being suspended for six games, Shannon was considered a front-runner for the National Player of the Year award before his suspension. After a preliminary injunction was granted, his suspension was ended and he resumed playing the rest of the season. Following the season's end and the not-guilty verdict, it was announced that Shannon's jersey would be honored by the university. His number 0 jersey was unveiled in a halftime ceremony on February 15, 2025, with Shannon in attendance; due to an error by the athletic department, the jersey was initially hung upside down. Making light of the situation, Shannon partnered with Gameday Spirit to release t-shirts referencing the mishap, with a portion of the proceeds going to the local Don Moyer Boys & Girls Club of Champaign.

Records

Big Ten Conference

* Big Ten men's basketball tournament single-game record for most points scored: 40 (March 16, 2024)

Illinois Fighting Illini

* Fighting Illini single-season record for most points scored: 736 (2023–24) * Fighting Illini single-season record for most free throws made: 212 (2023–24) * Fighting Illini single-season record for most free throws attempted: 260 (2023–24) * Fighting Illini single-season record for most offensive win shares: 4.9 (2023–24) * Fighting Illini single-season record for highest box plus-minus score: 11.6 (2023–24) * Fighting Illini single-season record for highest offensive box plus-minus score: 9.1 (2023–24) * Fighting Illini single-game record for most three-point field goals made: 8 (November 18, 2022) ** Tied with Dee Brown (2005),

Trenton Meacham Trenton "Trent" Meacham (born September 26, 1985) is an American former professional basketball player and current college basketball analyst. He played college basketball at both the University of Dayton and the University of Illinois. Professi ...

(2006),

Brandon Paul Brandon Stephan Paul (born April 30, 1991) is an American professional basketball player for Elan Chalon of the French LNB Pro A. During his senior year at Warren Township High School, Paul was named Illinois Mr. Basketball for 2009. Paul played ...

(2012), and

Alfonso Plummer Alfonso Plummer Torres (born September 4, 1997) is a Puerto Rican professional basketball player for ratiopharm Ulm of the Basketball Bundesliga and the Puerto Rican national team. He played college basketball for the Arizona Western Matadors, ...

(2022)

Professional career

Minnesota Timberwolves

On June 26, 2024, Shannon was selected with the 27th overall pick by the

in the

2024 NBA draft The 2024 NBA draft was the 78th edition of the National Basketball Association's annual NBA draft, draft. Unlike recent years, the 2024 draft took place over two nights. This was the first NBA draft to be held on multiple nights since the draft ...

, and on July 8, he signed with Minnesota. Throughout his rookie season, he was assigned to the

Iowa Wolves The Iowa Wolves are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Des Moines, Iowa, and are affiliated with the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Wolves play their home games at the Wells Fargo Arena and compete in the Western ...

several times.

Awards and honors

NCAA

* Illinois Male Athlete of the Year (2024) *

Big Ten Tournament Most Outstanding Player Big or BIG may refer to: * Big, of great size or degree Film and television * ''Big'' (film), a 1988 fantasy-comedy film starring Tom Hanks * ''Big'', a 2023 Taiwanese children's film starring Van Fan and Chie Tanaka * ''Big!'', a Discovery ...

(2024) * Second-team All-American – 247Sports (2024) * Third-team All-American – Associated Press (2024) * First-team All-Big Ten – Associated Press (2024) * 2× First-team All-Big Ten – Coaches (2023, 2024) * First-team All-Big Ten – Media (2024) * Second-team All-Big Ten – Media (2023) * Third-team All-Big 12 (2021) * Big 12 All-Freshman Team (2020) * NCAA East Regional All-

Tournament A tournament is a competition involving at least three competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses: # One or more competitions held at a single venue and concen ...

Team (2024) * Big Ten All-

Team (2024) * Big 12 All-

Team (2022)

Career statistics

NBA

Regular season

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Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

, 32 , , 1 , , 10.6 , , .482 , , .355 , , .810 , , 1.5 , , 1.0 , , .2 , , .2 , , 4.3 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 32 , , 1 , , 10.6 , , .482 , , .355 , , .810 , , 1.5 , , 1.0 , , .2 , , .2 , , 4.3

Playoffs

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, 9 , , 0 , , 6.3 , , .481 , , .375 , , 1.000 , , 1.1 , , .3 , , .4 , , .0 , , 4.6 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 9 , , 0 , , 6.3 , , .481 , , .375 , , 1.000 , , 1.1 , , .3 , , .4 , , .0 , , 4.6

College

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, 29 , , 21 , , 23.5 , , .470 , , .257 , , .829 , , 4.1 , , 1.0 , , .9 , , .4 , , 9.8 , - , style="text-align:left;",

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, 28 , , 13 , , 26.7 , , .448 , , .357 , , .756 , , 4.0 , , 1.4 , , 1.1 , , .1 , , 12.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2021–22 , style="text-align:left;",

, 26 , , 20 , , 25.0 , , .455 , , .384 , , .784 , , 2.6 , , 2.0 , , .8 , , .2 , , 10.4 , - , style="text-align:left;",

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, 31 , , 30 , , 32.1 , , .442 , , .321 , , .790 , , 4.6 , , 2.8 , , 1.3 , , .5 , , 17.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2023–24 , style="text-align:left;",

, 32 , , 31 , , 33.9 , , .475 , , .362 , , .801 , , 4.0 , , 2.3 , , 1.0 , , .9 , , 23.0 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 146 , , 115 , , 28.5 , , .459 , , .347 , , .793 , , 3.9 , , 1.9 , , 1.0 , , .4 , , 15.0

Personal life

Rape accusation and acquittal

Alleged incident

In the early morning of Saturday, September 9, 2023 (following the prior day's

Kansas Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...

–

football game), Shannon allegedly penetrated Madi Neill with his fingers at the Jayhawk Cafe. Months later, on December 27, Shannon was arrested on a warrant issued by the Douglas County (Kansas) District Attorney for the charge of rape; sexual intercourse without consent, and use of force against a victim. Shannon posted bail the following day and was suspended by the team. No bar employees, security staff, friends, or roommates other than Neill’s best friend were interviewed. The police took surveillance footage from the Jayhawk Cafe, however, the spot where the alleged crime took place occurred off-camera. Neill’s drinking the night of the alleged incident also varied between what she told the police and what was filed in her sexual assault exam report, but the police did not seek receipts to verify. After completing the sexual assault exam the following day, Neill and her friend returned to the Jayhawk Cafe, one night after the alleged incident took place. Kansas players Kevin McCullar Jr. and

Hunter Dickinson Hunter Ryan Dickinson (born November 25, 2000) is an American basketball player. He played college basketball for the Michigan Wolverines and the Kansas Jayhawks. Dickinson was named a consensus second-team 2021 NCAA Men's Basketball All-America ...

, as well as graduate assistant DyShawn Hobson and Illini player

Justin Harmon Justin Harmon (born August 30, 2001) is an American professional basketball player for the Salt Lake City Stars of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the Barton Cougars, the Utah Valley Wolverines men's basketball, Utah Valley Wo ...

testified that they did not witness Shannon interact with Neill the night of the alleged incident. Following a series of back-and-forth legal actions between Shannon and the University, on January 19, Shannon was granted a preliminary injunction against the University of Illinois, thus making him eligible to play. The University ultimately dropped its investigation with Shannon dropping his lawsuit as a result. On May 2, the DNA results were released through a hearing by Shannon's defense. Most of the DNA samples were unusable and one sample contained a mixture of at least three males, none of whom were Shannon. On June 7, Shannon's defense successfully motioned to include evidence of a third-party incident committed by Arterio Morris, who allegedly sexually assaulted a woman at the Jayhawk Cafe less than two weeks prior to the alleged incident involving Shannon. On June 10, jury selection took place with a jury of eight men and seven women selected to serve as the 12 jurors and three alternates. During the trial, Neill testified that Shannon grabbed her wrist when previously she had said no such grabbing occurred as her hands were occupied by her phone and drink. Neill’s friend corroborated the grabbing, despite not mentioning it in previous testimony. Shannon's defense presented text messages from a group chat between Neill and her friends implying that she may have been motivated by money, as they contained dollar sign emojis. On June 13, Shannon was acquitted on both charges.

Aftermath

Deputy district attorney Joshua Seiden, who took over the case from Chief Assistant district attorney Jennifer Tatum after she resigned in March, left the office a week following the verdict. On August 6, the Douglas County district attorney, Suzanne Valdez, lost her reelection campaign by finishing third in the Democratic primary election. On September 13, it was announced that Shannon and his mother were suing the Douglas County district attorney's office and police department for malicious prosecution and other claims. An open-records request from ''The News-Gazette'' revealed that Shannon was seeking approximately $11.5 million while his mother was seeking $500,000.

References

External links

*
Illinois Fighting Illini bioTexas Tech Red Raiders bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shannon, Terrence Jr. 2000 births Living people 21st-century American sportsmen All-American college men's basketball players American men's basketball players Basketball players from Chicago Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball players IMG Academy alumni Iowa Wolves players Minnesota Timberwolves draft picks Minnesota Timberwolves players Shooting guards Texas Tech Red Raiders basketball players