Former Illinois standout Terrence Shannon Jr., a potential first-round NBA draft pick, was found not guilty Thursday on a rape charge after a jury in Douglas County, Kansas, found less two hours deliberating the verdict.
Shannon, 23, was accused of committing sexual assault last September while visiting Kansas for a football game between the Illini and Jayhawks. He was accused of rape or an alternative charge of sexual assault, which led to him being suspended for six games; a federal judge later reinstated him, ruling that his civil rights had been violated.
Shannon testified that he joined two roommates and some Kansas players at a bar on September 8, 2023, but only had a few drinks and remembered everything that happened that night. Shannon said he only learned of the rape allegation several weeks later and that he had never seen the 18-year-old woman who accused him until the case began.
The woman told police she was at the bar when a man, who she later identified as Shannon, grabbed her buttocks and reached under her skirt to touch her. The woman claimed that the bar was crowded and that was why she was unable to move.
Shannon testified that a woman close to him was raped and that he would never treat another woman the same way.
Shannon’s lawyers called the accusations a “blind accusation” and questioned the woman’s motives. They also criticized Douglas County prosecutors for a lack of evidence and a Lawrence detective for the depth of his investigation.
Many scouts followed the case closely ahead of the NBA draft, which is scheduled for June 26-27.
The 6-foot-2 Shannon, who can play point guard and point guard, played five seasons for Illinois. He was at his best last season, averaging 23 points for a team that reached the Elite Eight before losing to eventual national champion UConn.
Shannon was named first-team All-Big Ten and third-team All-American by the Associated Press.
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