Illinois Fighting Illini Basketball

Terrence Shannon Jr. made history in Illinois' win over Nebraska in the Big Ten tournament semifinals on Saturday.

The senior guard scored 40 points in the 98-87 win over the Cornhuskers, setting a new Big Ten tournament record. The previous record holder was Northwestern's Michael Thomas, who dropped 35 against Minnesota in 2011.

.@IlliniMBB's Terrence Shannon Jr. scored 36 points for the Big Ten Tournament record. pic.twitter.com/ljefYMtOrd

— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) March 16, 2024

Shannon was an efficient 11-of-22 on the game, shooting 5-for-9 from deep and 13-of-16 from the free throw line. The Texas Tech transfer is averaging 21.9 points per game this season.

Now Illinois has a date with Wisconsin in the Big Ten tournament championship game on Sunday. The Badgers took down top-seeded Purdue in overtime Saturday afternoon to advance to the final.

In Illinois' previous meeting with Wisconsin earlier in March, the Illini won 91-83 behind Marcus Domask's 31 points. A win would give Illinois its first season with 25 wins since the 2005-06 season.

The Illini are heading to the NCAA tournament with or without a win, but taking down Wisconsin could have seeding implications. Illinois is currently considered to be a No. 3 seed by ESPN's Joe Lunardi, but the outcome of Sunday's championship game could impact that position.

Wisconsin, which also doesn't need a win to reach the tournament, is considered to be a No. 5 seed by Lunardi and is looking to potentially boost its position.

The Big Ten tournament championship game will tip off at 3:30 p.m. ET on Sunday.

The U.S. Central District Court of Illinois has granted University of Illinois men's basketball player Terrence Shannon Jr.'s motion for a temporary restraining order, allowing the previously suspended guard to return following three weeks away from the team.

Jeff Goodman of The Messenger relayed the news from Shannon's legal team on Friday.

Illinois suspended Shannon from all team activities on Dec. 28 after the Douglas County (Kansas) district attorney's office issued a warrant for his arrest regarding an alleged sexual assault.

On Jan. 8, the guard filed a motion for a temporary restraining order in hopes of being "immediately" reinstated, claiming the school failed to grant him due process with the trial not scheduled to begin until June, per ESPN's Myron Medcalf. President Timothy Killeen and the school's board of trustees were listed as the defendants.

The TRO lawsuit states:

"Does the presumption of innocence really mean anything? That question is at the heart of this case. Illinois has promised (Shannon) that it would adhere to this presumption, but in practice Illinois has not applied it by suspending (Shannon) and ruining his career as if he were already convicted. [Shannon] maintains his innocence, for the record. Sexual assault is a horrific crime, and [Shannon] is appalled that his name is mentioned in the same sentence with such a crime, and he in no way seeks to minimize that it is a real problem."

Judge Colleen Lawless ruled in favor of Shannon, provided her reasoning and instructed the school to remove its suspension, per Bret Beherns of WCIA3.

The conclusion from the Terrence Shannon Jr. TRO from Judge Colleen Lawless:

"The court further finds that Plaintiff has no adequate remedy at law and will suffer irreparable harm without an injunction"

"The potential harm to Plaintiff outweighs any harm to the University" pic.twitter.com/JNsBCJCESI

— Bret Beherns (@BretBeherns) January 19, 2024

BREAKING: Terrence Shannon Jr. has been granted his TRO by Judge Colleen Lawless in his civil suit against the University of Illinois:

"Defendants are enjoined from suspending Plaintiff from the basketball team without at least affording him the protections of the OSCR policy" pic.twitter.com/iJ44HYc0AS

— Bret Beherns (@BretBeherns) January 19, 2024

Shannon released a statement afterward:

I am grateful for the opportunity to re-join my teammates and get back to work.

— Terrence Shannon Jr (@Sn1per_T) January 19, 2024

The school did as well via spokeswoman Robin Kaler: "We have received the Court's Order. Effective immediately, Terrence Shannon Jr. has been reinstated to full status as a University student-athlete and will be available for basketball practice and competition. We will continue to review the Court Order and monitor the case."

Shannon was suspended from all team activities after being arrested and charged with rape in Lawrence, Kansas, while he was there to watch a football game between Illinois and Kansas on Sept. 8. The alleged rape reportedly occurred on Sept. 9.

Per ESPN's Shwetha Surendran, a police affidavit states that a woman told Lawrence police Shannon digitally penetrated her at a bar without consent.

Medcalf also obtained a copy of the complaint, which stated that Shannon "unlawfully, feloniously, and knowingly engaged in sexual intercourse with a person ... who did not consent to the sexual intercourse under circumstances when she, was overcome by force or fear, a severity level 1 person felony."

Shannon was arrested and charged with "rape, sexual intercourse without consent and use of force."

Surendran further reported that University of Illinois police were made aware of the investigation as early as Sept. 27. School officials told ESPN that they did not have "actionable information" to suspend Shannon until Dec. 27, when the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics "received a copy of the arrest warrant and a Lawrence, Kansas police report."

Attorney Mark P. Sutter, who represents Shannon, previously stated in December that his client was innocent and noted intentions to take the case to trial.

Per NBC Sports Chicago:

"Since September, when these allegations surfaced, Terrence has cooperated with law enforcement throughout the investigation, declaring his innocence from the beginning. Now, several months later, my office learned that formal charges were filed against him yesterday in Lawrence, KS. In less than 24 hours, my client responded, and he voluntarily surrendered to local authorities for processing and release. Terrence is innocent of these charges, and he intends to take his case to trial."

Per Surendran, a preliminary hearing in the criminal case against Shannon is scheduled for Feb. 23.

Shannon, a fifth-year senior, transferred to Illinois in 2022 after playing three seasons at Texas Tech.

He's eligible to rejoin No. 14 Illinois as soon as Sunday, when the team hosts Rutgers.

Illinois guard Terrence Shannon Jr., who was suspended indefinitely in December after he was arrested on rape charges, reportedly filed a temporary restraining order Monday seeking to be "immediately" reinstated to the Fighting Illini's men's basketball team, per ESPN's Myron Medcalf.

The restraining order lists Illinois president Timothy Killeen and the school's board of trustees as the defendants.

Medcalf noted Shannon submitted to authorities and was temporarily jailed after a warrant was issued for him in Kansas in December regarding an alleged rape in September.

He was charged with "unlawfully, feloniously, and knowingly engaged in sexual intercourse with a person ... who did not consent to the sexual intercourse under circumstances when she was overcome by force or fear, a severity level 1 person felony."

A woman in Kansas said Shannon "touched her inappropriately and sexually assaulted her," per Medcalf.

Yet the restraining order lawsuit the guard filed said Illinois is not granting him due process by suspending him from the team until the legal case is resolved, which will happen after the 2023-24 season is over with the trial set to begin in June.

"Does the presumption of innocence really mean anything? That question is at the heart of this case," the lawsuit states. "Illinois has promised (Shannon) that it would adhere to this presumption, but in practice Illinois has not applied it by suspending (Shannon) and ruining his career as if he were already convicted. [Shannon] maintains his innocence, for the record. Sexual assault is a horrific crime, and [Shannon] is appalled that his name is mentioned in the same sentence with such a crime, and he in no way seeks to minimize that it is a real problem."

It also said he would "suffer irreparable harm without injunctive relief, as his career will certainly be ruined if the suspension continues, trouncing on his business interests including contractual rights" if he is not reinstated.

Shannon has not played since a Dec. 22 game against Missouri.

Illinois is 11-3 on the season and 2-1 without him.

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.

#Illini All-American candidate Terrence Shannon Jr. has been suspended from the team after being charged with rape pic.twitter.com/dZyPilhYej

— Derek Piper (@DPiper247) December 28, 2023

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.

The University of Iowa and a University of Illinois fan group are at odds over a canceled ticket sale for Saturday's men's basketball game between the Hawkeyes and Fighting Illini at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City.

According to ESPN's Myron Medcalf, the Orange Krush Illinois fan group has accused Iowa of wrongfully canceling its order of 200 tickets, leaving the group $6,000 in the hole since it is too late to cancel charter buses for the game.

While Orange Krush claimed the cancellation was a result of Iowa being "fearful" of their presence at the game, University of Iowa officials said the order was canceled because Orange Krush purchased the tickets at a discounted price under the guise of buying them for a local Boys & Girls Club chapter.

In a statement, the University of Iowa divulged that it will allocate the canceled tickets to a local Boys & Girls Club chapter in Iowa instead:

"The Iowa Athletics Department became aware of a discounted group ticket order for the Iowa-Illinois men's basketball game on behalf of an Illinois chapter of the Boys & Girls Club. In following up with that organization, it became clear this was not factual. When contacting the individual who made the original ticket order, they admitted to falsely ordering tickets under the non-profit organization. Iowa Athletics has refunded the original ticket order and donated tickets to the Boys & Girls Club of Cedar Rapids. We look forward to welcoming these kids to a sold-out Carver-Hawkeye Arena this Saturday."

Orange Krush also released a statement, claiming the tickets were purchased legally, and blaming the University of Iowa for reneging on the transaction:

"It is highly unfortunate for our group that this trip has been canceled because we were looking forward to it since receiving the tickets in the mail in October. It is highly unfortunate for the 150 students that collectively fundraised a total of $2,649.41 for local charitable organizations in order to be invited on this trip. Most of all, it is highly unfortunate that the University of Iowa and their athletic department refused to face the consequences of the mistake they made in selling tickets to a billing address in Champaign, Illinois."

Illinois and Iowa are longtime rivals who first played against each other in 1908 and are both currently members of the Big Ten.

Both teams are in the mix for an NCAA tournament berth, but the Illini have undoubtedly had a better season, as they are 16-6 overall and in second place in the Big Ten with a 7-4 conference record.

Illinois has won three games in a row and seven of its past eight contests. It holds victories over then-No. 8 UCLA, then-No. 2 Texas and then-No. 14 Wisconsin this season.

Iowa is 14-8 overall and 6-5 in Big Ten action, putting it just one game out of second place in the conference.

The Hawkeyes have won two games in a row and six of their past eight, and their victories against ranked teams came against then-No. 20 Iowa State and then-No. 15 Indiana.

Both Illinois and Iowa have reached the NCAA tournament in each of the past two seasons, and Saturday's game could be pivotal in helping both of them make it three in a row.

The Duke Blue Devils men's squad and Connecticut Huskies women's team will headline the 2022 Jimmy V Classic in December.

Per ESPN's Jeff Borzello, the Blue Devils will play Iowa, and Texas will square off against Illinois in the men's doubleheader at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 6.

The women's games will feature the Huskies taking on Notre Dame at the Joyce Center and Tennessee hosting Virginia Tech on Dec. 4.

The UConn-Notre Dame contest is a clash between two of the best women's programs in the nation.

ESPN's Charlie Creme had both teams ranked in the top 10 in his early top-25 list, which dropped in May. The Huskies came in at No. 2, behind defending national champion South Carolina.

Connecticut is bringing back Paige Bueckers, Azzi Fudd, Aaliyah Edwards and Dorka Juhasz.

Fighting Irish head coach Niele Ivey has had to replace a lot of talent from the 2021-22 squad. Sam Brunelle, Anaya Peoples, Abby Prohaska and Maya Dodson are all gone, though incoming transfers Lauren Ebo, Kylee Watson and Jenna Brown do help offset those losses.

Creme had Notre Dame ranked seventh in his top 25 coming off a Sweet 16 run in the NCAA tournament last season.

The Lady Volunteers came in just ahead of Notre Dame at No. 6 in Creme's ranking. Head coach Kellie Harper had her best season with the program in 2021-22 with a 25-9 record and a trip to the Sweet 16.

The Blue Devils figure to receive significant attention this season, especially early in the year. Jon Scheyer is taking over as head coach after Mike Krzyzewski retired at the end of last season.

Based on recruiting, there's no indication the Blue Devils will suffer without Coach K. They had the best recruiting class in the nation with seven commits, including four 5-stars, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

The class is headlined by three of the top four overall recruits, including top-ranked Dereck Lively II.

Iowa has won at least 20 games in each of the past four seasons under head coach Fran McCaffery.

Texas and Illinois are also coming off 20-win seasons in 2021-22. Both teams lost in the second round of the NCAA tournament.

The Jimmy V Classic was established in 1995 to raise money and awareness for cancer research. It's named after former college basketball head coach Jim Valvano, who died from complications from cancer in April 1993.

The UConn women's team has 10 wins in the Jimmy V Classic, most all-time among men's or women's programs.

The future outlook for the Illinois men's basketball team got much brighter Thursday.

That is because point guard Skyy Clark joined its 2022 recruiting class.

Clark announced his decision at halftime of the State Champions Invitational.

COMMIT: #illini land 5-star guard Skyy Clark, the highest-rated Illinois recruit in 20 years

With the former Kentucky commit on board, the Illini recruiting class now ranked in the top-10 nationally. https://t.co/hHuj1WD7DM pic.twitter.com/jueNMUyFSb

— Jeremy Werner (@JWerner247) April 7, 2022

Clark, who checks in at 6'3" and 200 pounds, is a 5-star prospect and the No. 27 overall player, No. 5 point guard and No. 7 player from the state of Florida in the 2022 class, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

He was available for Illinois because he decommitted from Kentucky in March.

Joe Tipton of On3 Sports shared Clark's statement explaining his decision:

Breaking: 2022 PG Skyy Clark has decommitted from Kentucky and will reopen his recruitment, he tells @On3Recruits.

Story: https://t.co/o69A6ecI8b pic.twitter.com/UR7l4QQsVJ

— Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) March 6, 2022

Tipton noted Clark became just the third Wildcats recruit to decommit from the blueblood program since head coach John Calipari took over before the 2009-10 season, joining DJ Jeffries and Nolan Hickman.

It didn't take long for teams to respond, as ESPN's Jeff Borzello reported that Tennessee, Arizona State, South Carolina, Syracuse, Georgetown, Vanderbilt, Tennessee State, Xavier, USC, Gonzaga, Oklahoma State, Washington, Butler, Marquette and Illinois all reached out in a matter of days.

Clark told On3 Sports on March 29 he limited his choices to six schools in USC, Illinois, Maryland, Louisville, Tennessee and Washington.

There's a good reason so many notable programs were interested.

Clark brings a formidable combination of size and athleticism to the point guard position, which helps him get to the rim through traffic, break out in transition and defend multiple positions if needed.

He is also a solid facilitator when defenders collapse on him and can score from beyond the three-point line when they give him too much space.

Jerry Meyer of 247Sports listed three-time All-Star Bradley Beal as Clark's NBA player comparison, which underscores his ability to impact the game as an offensive threat.

If he can live up to those expectations for the Fighting Illini, he can help them compete for a Big Ten crown and a deep NCAA tournament run as soon as his freshman season.

Illinois already had a talented 2022 class that includes power forward Ty Rodgers, combo guard Jayden Epps and shooting guard Sencire Harris, and Clark could be the piece that helps make it elite when all the players hit the floor together.

He can share the backcourt with Epps and Harris or work in a rotation, but he is too talented to keep off the floor as he looks to turn hype into wins as a freshman.

It's a case of too little, too late for the referee who whistled Illinois freshman RJ Melendez for a technical foul in Sunday's NCAA men's tournament loss to Houston.

Melendez was punished for hanging on the rim after throwing down a two-handed jam in the second half to cut the Fighting Illini's deficit to four points.

Head coach Brad Underwood said the call was "deflating" and "changes the momentum of the game." He added that official Brian O'Connell "told me he shouldn't ever have called it."

Brad Underwood on RJ Melendez's technical foul.

• "Horrible."
• Says it deflated Illinois' momentum.
• Claims the official (Brian O'Connell) told him after the fact that he shouldn't have called it.
• Wonders is the call was "personal." pic.twitter.com/gnX82nowdD

— Brendan Quinn (@BFQuinn) March 20, 2022

Melendez added that O'Connell didn't address the technical in the moment:

"I didn't get no explanation from the ref. I tried to ask the ref, 'What was it?' he didn't want to explain it to me"

The #Illini cut the lead to 46-42 off an RJ Melendez fast break dunk when he was whistled for a T, Brad Underwood:

"C'mon to kill momentum like that? Horrible" pic.twitter.com/oNmoFelNdN

— Bret Beherns (@BretBeherns) March 20, 2022

It's tough to know where the 6'7" guard erred. His momentum initially took his body forward, so he couldn't immediately let go of the rim without falling flat on his back. He didn't hang on the rim for any longer than necessary, either.

Completely agree with @ReggieMillerTNT that this should not have been a technical foul on RJ Melendez.

RJ’s momentum carried him towards the basket and he didn’t hang for an extended period or in an unsporting fashion.#MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/SukohTBggO

— Gene Steratore (@GeneSteratore) March 20, 2022

That call didn't single-handedly cost Illinois the game. The Fighting Illini lost by 15 and shot 34 percent from the field. Kofi Cockburn was the only Illinois player to score in double figures.

Still, it's fair to wonder how much impact the technical had. Beyond the fact that Jamal Shead sank a free throw to put Houston back up five, the break in play allowed the Cougars to reset a bit with Illinois continuing to hang around.

And purely on principal, Underwood and Melendez have every reason to be angry in the immediate aftermath of the defeat.

Houston remained red hot with a 68-53 victory over Illinois in the second round of the 2022 NCAA men's basketball tournament Sunday at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh.

The fifth-seeded Cougars have won 11 of their past 12 games since a brief two-game losing streak in mid-February to reach the Sweet 16. That run of success includes winning the AAC tournament and their March Madness opener, an 82-68 triumph over UAB on Friday.

While the No. 4 seed Fighting Illini escaped an upset bid from 13th-seeded Chattanooga on Friday, they weren't able to overcome a strong UH squad in the round of 32. They finish with a 23-10 record, the program's third straight year topping 20 wins.

---

Key Stats

Taze Moore (UH): 21 points, 7 rebounds

Jamal Shead (UH): 18 points, 3 assists, 3 steals

Kyler Edwards (UH): 15 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists

Kofi Cockburn (ILL): 19 points, 8 rebounds

Alfonso Plummer (ILL): 8 points, 2 steals

---

Houston Defense Steals The Spotlight

Houston plays at one of the slowest paces in the country, and when it's able to pair that with suffocating defense, the Cougars look like a national championship contender. Just ask Memphis, which was held to a minuscule 53 points on 63 possessions in the AAC title game.

The Cougars were locked in on that end of the floor in the first half. They held the Illini to 36 percent shooting in the opening 20 minutes, including a 4-of-13 mark from three-point range.

UH made it clear from the opening tip it was going to heavily tilt its defensive game plan toward Cockburn, who entered the day averaging 21 points through 27 games this season. It compressed the defense toward the paint and forced Illinois to work on the perimeter.

What a save.
What a finish.
Wow.@UHCougarMBK pic.twitter.com/LpfhXNvpwK

— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) March 20, 2022

It was highly effective early, as the Illini had just 13 points at the final media timeout of the first half. Their offense showed signs of life right before halftime with a trio of threes to keep the game within reach.

Houston never relented, though. Its ability to deny early pass entries to the paint was a game-changer, and it left the Illinois offense stagnant and looking for answers.

The game wasn't nearly as lopsided as the final score would suggest, but the Cougars forced the Illini to work hard on every single possession, and eventually, their own offense was able to heat up and pull away.

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Cockburn Doesn't Get Enough Help

Cockburn is the engine that made the Illinois offense run all season. He's averaged 13.7 shots while shooting 59.5 percent from the field. The fact he walked into the locker room at halftime with just three shot attempts was an issue.

The Illini knew that wasn't a recipe for success and started feeding him the ball early in the second half. He attempted four field goals and two free throws in the first five minutes after the break to help get the game tied.

Kofi Cockburn SLAMS it down. @IlliniMBB pic.twitter.com/JHoxIyUCY9

— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) March 20, 2022

While Cockburn finally got rolling in the second half, the rest of the Illini offense didn't follow suit. No other player reached double figures in scoring.

Illinois finished the game shooting 35.6 percent from the field and 28.6 percent on threes. Even when it was able to create some open looks in the second half, it failed to knock them down.

The game continued to hang in the balance, and one hot streak of shooting could have flipped the game in the No. 4 seed's favor, but that never arrived, and Houston took advantage to move on.

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What's Next?

Houston advances to face either No. 1 seed Arizona or No. 9 seed TCU in the South Region's Sweet 16. The Wildcats and Horned Frogs are scheduled to tip off at 9:40 p.m. ET on Sunday.

The Illinois men's basketball team will be without its best player to start the 2021-22 season.

All-American junior center Kofi Cockburn has been suspended by the NCAA for the first three games of the year for selling "institutionally issued apparel and memorabilia" in June.

Kofi Cockburn will miss Illinois' first three games due to an NCAA suspension, the school announces. pic.twitter.com/JMb3uaHjbu

— Brian Hamilton (@_Brian_Hamilton) November 1, 2021

Cockburn will also be required to repay the amount he received from selling the apparel by donating to a charity of his choice.

Cockburn received the suspension because he sold the memorabilia prior to the State of Illinois and the NCAA enacting the new NIL rules on July 1. Players are now permitted to profit off of their name, image and likeness, and Cockburn would have avoided punishment had he waited a month.

Illinois head coach Brad Underwood pointed out Cockburn's situation is unique because he had been going through the NBA draft process when his infraction occurred.

"We are disappointed with the three-game suspension, because there were unprecedented factors and altered timelines related to his decision to ultimately withdraw from the NBA Draft and return to school. ... That being said, we understand and respect the NCAA's decision in this matter, and we will move forward accordingly," Underwood said in a statement.

Cockburn is a preseason All-American and Big Ten Player of the Year selection. He averaged 17.7 points and 9.5 rebounds as a sophomore while shooting 65.4 percent from the field.

Cockburn will be allowed to continue practicing with the Illini while he's suspended. He will be eligible to return for the Hall of Fame Classic in Kansas City on Nov. 22 against Cincinnati.