Illinois Supporting Cast Benefited During Terrence Shannon Suspension

The Illinois Fighting Illini were without their best player from late December until the third week of January.

That gave the supporting cast time to find their identity. It is part of the reason the Illini are among the hottest teams entering the NCAA Tournament, winning eight of their last nine games.

The No. 3 seed Illini open play Thursday against No. 14 Morehead State in the first round of the East Regional in Omaha.

"Missing Terrence was tough for our team," Illini guard Marcus Domask said. "He's such a big part of what we do but I think it kind of gave all of us a chance to do a little bit more. We all got more confidence because we had to adapt to our roles."

Shannon was suspended because of rape allegations that stemmed from an incident in early September in Lawrence, Kan. He missed six games before a federal judge reinstated him. The Illini went 4-2 in his absence, allowing the rest of his team to contribute without him.

With him back, the Illini are now among the favorites in the tournaments. But they will have to get through one of the toughest regions. The East also includes defending champion UCONN, San Diego State, Florida Atlantic, Auburn and Iowa State.

"Terrence is really grateful to be back with us," Illini forward Quincy Guerrier said. "He's been tremendous for us. He's just ready to win. Everybody is just locked in."

Illinois' Terrence Shannon Has Handled Season Of Adversity Like A "Professional"

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