After finishing the 2021-22 season with the No. 1 seed in the Big Ten Tournament and earning a second consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance, Illinois and head coach Brad Underwood have regeared for the 2022-23 campaign despite several key losses.
Headlining this rebuilt roster will be former Texas Tech standout Terrence Shannon Jr., a top-100 prospect in the class of 2019 who went on to earn Big 12 All-Freshman, 2020-21 All-Big 12, and 2022 All-Big 12 Tournament selections during his three years with the Red Raiders.
A dynamic all-around guard who’s just as capable of handling the ball as he is shooting it from deep, across those three seasons in Lubbock Shannon averaged 11 PPG, 3.6 RPG, and 1.4 APG while shooting at 35% from three-point range and defensively adding 1 STPG. And at 6-foot-6, he’ll provide the Fighting Illini with a versatile piece who can play almost anywhere on the court while also defending a variety of positions from the one to the three.
A native of Chicago, IL, Shannon will be returning home to team up with one of the nation’s top recruiting classes and will need to be a leader on what should be a young Illinois squad. Arriving with a resume bolstering high-major basketball following three seasons in the Big 12 and multiple NCAA Tournament appearances, Shannon should have no problem assuming a veteran role and carrying on the recent success that Underwood and Illinois have found.
