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Former Illinois Guard Terrence Shannon Has Nothing But Love For Coach Brad Underwood

Shandel Richardson|
Mar 30, 2024; Boston, MA, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood reacts with guard Terrence Shannon Jr. (0) against the Connecticut Huskies in the finals of the East Regional of the 2024 NCAA Tournament at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 30, 2024; Boston, MA, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood reacts with guard Terrence Shannon Jr. (0) against the Connecticut Huskies in the finals of the East Regional of the 2024 NCAA Tournament at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports | Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

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Illinois Fighting IlliniMinnesota Timberwolves

The worst days are behind former Illinois Fighting Illini guard Terrence Shannon.

Last month he was found not guilty of rape allegations. A few weeks later, he was chosen by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the NBA draft.

It put an end to a difficult six-month stretch of life for Shannon. He recently gave credit to Illini coach Brad Underwood for helping him get through the ordeal.

"Coach Brad, he held me to higher expectations and he still does," Shannon said. "I was just real grateful to play for him. He's one of the best coaches in the country, in college basketball. He's been there since day one. He never changed. I can say I really love him as a coach and as a person."

Shannon led the Illini to the Elite Eight, where they fell to eventual champion UConn. He now gets a chance to play alongside Anthony Edwards, Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns. Last season the Timberwolves lost to the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference finals.

Underwood said he will pay close attention to Shannon's pro career.

"Under six months of intense scrutiny, Terrence has shown tremendous composure, maturity, and focus," Underwood said. "He can now put this behind him and move on with his life. I, along with everyone in our Illinois basketball program, will continue to offer Terrence our full support as he looks to fulfill his NBA dream.”

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

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Shandel Richardson
SHANDEL RICHARDSON

Shandel has covered the NBA since 2010, with previous stops at The Athletic and South Florida Sun-Sentinel. He has covered six NBA Finals, one Super Bowl, the NCAA basketball tournament. He has also been a beat writer for the Miami Hurricanes and contributed on every major beat in South Florida since 2003, including the Miami Dolphins and Miami Marlins. He can also be read in the Sportsbook Review for gambling coverage from around the NBA. A native of Bloomington, Illinois, Shandel attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. He's also worked for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Kansas City Star. TWITTER: @ShandelRich EMAIL: shandelrich@gmail.com You can subscribe to our YouTube channel here Follow all of our Miami Heat coverage on Facebook here