Former University of Illinois star and potential first-round NBA draft pick Terrence Shannon Jr. was acquitted of rape charges on Thursday after a Douglas County, Kansas jury deliberated less than two hours to reach a verdict.
Shannon, 23, was accused of sexually assaulting a woman during a trip to Kansas to watch a University of Illinois-Jayhawks football game last September. He was charged with separate counts of rape and sexual assault and suspended for six games, but a federal judge later reinstated him, saying his civil rights had been violated.
Shannon testified that he joined two of his roommates and several University of Kansas players at a bar on Sept. 8, 2023, but only had a few drinks and remembered everything that happened that night. Shannon said he didn't learn of the rape allegation until weeks later and had never met the 18-year-old woman who accused him until the start of the lawsuit.
The woman told police she was at a bar when a man, later identified as Shannon, grabbed her buttocks and reached under her skirt and groped her. The woman claimed she was unable to move because the bar was crowded.
Shannon testified that a woman close to her had been raped and that she would never treat another woman the same way.
Shannon's defense team called the charges a “blind accusation” and questioned the woman's motives. They also criticized the Douglas County prosecutor for a lack of evidence and Detective Lawrence for not investigating thoroughly.
Many scouts were closely watching the incident ahead of the NBA Draft, scheduled for June 26-27.
The 6-foot-6 Shannon, who can play both point guard and shooting guard, played five seasons at the University of Illinois. He had his best season last year, when the team reached the Elite Eight before losing to eventual national champion Connecticut.
Shannon was named first team All-Big Ten Conference and third team All-American by the Associated Press.
