Illinois Fighting Illini Guard Terrence Shannon Hitting Stride After Suspension

Illinois Fighting Illini guard Terrence Shannon had his groove interrupted when he was suspended for six games in late December and January due to alleged rape accusations.

After being reinstated in mid-January, Shannon has overcome the hiatus to return as a key contributor for the Illini's success. They are 6-2 with him back in the lineup, including Saturday's victory at Maryland behind Shannon's 27 points.

"I think it just took him a little bit of time to get in his rhythm," Illini forward Marcus Domask said. "It's no questions he's in his rhythm now. You can see it. Just his confidence, driving the ball, shooting the ball, his communication, all that stuff he does. Even the stuff that you don't see, he helps our team in so many ways."

Shannon has hit his stride recently. He has scored 86 points in the last three games. Despite losing their leading scorer at midseason, the Illini are still in position to win a Big Ten Conference title. They only trail the leading Purdue Boilermakers by two games.

"That was so hard. He's been a great teammate," Illini coach Brad Underwood said of Shannon. "He almost tried too hard not to mess things up or not to be so assertive. People laugh, we don't run much to Terrence. It's just kind of how he scores the basketball in transition, the foul line, driving the basketball. We try to create space for him."

Terrence Shannon's 27 Leads Illinois Fighting Illini Past Maryland Terrapins

Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Illini Now. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com