Illinois suspended guard Terrence Shannon Jr. from all team activities Thursday after the Douglas County (Kan.) district attorney issued a warrant for his arrest Wednesday.
Shannon, 23, is charged with one count of rape for an incident that allegedly occurred while he visited Lawrence, Kan., for a Sept. 8 Illinois-Kansas football game, court documents obtained by The Athletic show. If found guilty of rape, he could face up to 54 years in prison and/or a fine of up to $300,000 and 36 months of post-release supervision.
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According to the university, Shannon traveled to Lawrence on Thursday and turned himself in to authorities. He posted bail and is returning to Champaign, Ill., home of the university, per the school.
“DIA policy affords student athletes appropriate levels of due process based on the nature and severity of the allegations,” Illinois athletic director Josh Whitman said in a release. “We will rely on that policy and our prior experiences to manage this situation appropriately for the University and the involved parties.”
Shannon’s attorney, Mark P. Sutter, released a statement, saying, “Terrence is innocent of these charges, and he intends to take his case to trial.”
Shannon, a senior and All-American candidate, has averaged 21.7 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 11 games this season. He is No. 3 in KenPom’s Player of the Year rankings and tied for eighth nationally in points per game with UNC’s RJ Davis.
Shannon is in his second season with the Illini after spending three seasons at Texas Tech.
(Photo: Randy Sartin / USA Today)