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Let's continue with my countdown of my 30 favorite Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball players of my fandom, spanning from the 1996-97 season until present day. Here are numbers 30-9.
- #30 Morez Johnson Jr.
- #29 Marcus Arnold.
- #28 Matthew Mayer.
- #27 Kevin Turner.
- #26 Mike Davis.
- #25 Trent Frazier.
- #24 D.J. Richardson.
- #23 Tyler Griffey.
- #22 Will Riley.
- #21 Dain Dainja.
- #20 Jack Ingram.
- #19 Marcus Domask.
- #18 Tomislav Ivisic.
- #17 Robert Archibald.
- #16 Brandon Paul.
- #15 Frankie Williams.
- #14 Marcus Griffin.
- #13 Sergio McClain.
- #12 Alfonso Plummer.
- #11 Lucas Johnson.
- #10 David Mirkovic.
- #9 Damir Krupalija.
I can write all day long about the on-court accomplishments of my eighth favorite Illinois men's basketball player of my 30-year fandom, Terrence Shannon Jr.
Simply look at Shannon's scoring run late during his super senior season with the Illini, scoring:
What I want to write about is Shannon the human, how he revealed himself to be a person of great character during the most difficult of circumstances.
Amazingly, none of the above on-court performances seemed possible after Shannon was suspended from the Illini basketball team earlier that December after serious criminal charges were filed against him.
In the moment the charges against Shannon seemed surreal, questionable and impossible, as Terrence had always come off as such a respectful, positive and soft-spoken man. Over time such charges, which should never be discounted in terms of the seriousness and impact on victims, proved in a court of law to be trumped up and flimsy, if you could even go that far.
Regardless of how those charges affected Shannon's playing career, they could have forever changed his character.
Shannon did not let that happen, doing more than just setting a single-season Illinois scoring record of 737 points but showing the power of perseverance, positivity and honesty.
While leading the Illini to the Elite Eight, Shannon most importantly led by example, showing others how to handle adversity, compartmentalizing his life on and off the court in a way that not many adults can do.
Beyond being a great basketball player, Shannon has to be in my top-10 list simply based upon his character, which was never more apparent than during his tumultuous last season and ensuing jersey-retirement ceremony.
Somehow, Shannon's banner was upside down when it was revealed, an embarrassing situation that was trivial in the grand scheme of things. Rather than making a stink, Shannon simply laughed off the moment, taking it for what it is.
Simply look at Shannon's scoring run late during his super senior season with the Illini, scoring:
- 28 points against Ohio State during the Big Ten Tournament Quarterfinals.
- 40 points against Nebraska during the Big Ten Tournament Semifinals.
- 29 points against Wisconsin during the Big Ten Tournament Championship Game.
- 26 points against Morehead State during the first round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament.
- 30 points against Duquesne during the second round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament.
- 29 points against Iowa State during the Sweet Sixteen of the 2026 NCAA Tournament.
What I want to write about is Shannon the human, how he revealed himself to be a person of great character during the most difficult of circumstances.
Amazingly, none of the above on-court performances seemed possible after Shannon was suspended from the Illini basketball team earlier that December after serious criminal charges were filed against him.
In the moment the charges against Shannon seemed surreal, questionable and impossible, as Terrence had always come off as such a respectful, positive and soft-spoken man. Over time such charges, which should never be discounted in terms of the seriousness and impact on victims, proved in a court of law to be trumped up and flimsy, if you could even go that far.
Regardless of how those charges affected Shannon's playing career, they could have forever changed his character.
Shannon did not let that happen, doing more than just setting a single-season Illinois scoring record of 737 points but showing the power of perseverance, positivity and honesty.
While leading the Illini to the Elite Eight, Shannon most importantly led by example, showing others how to handle adversity, compartmentalizing his life on and off the court in a way that not many adults can do.
Beyond being a great basketball player, Shannon has to be in my top-10 list simply based upon his character, which was never more apparent than during his tumultuous last season and ensuing jersey-retirement ceremony.
Somehow, Shannon's banner was upside down when it was revealed, an embarrassing situation that was trivial in the grand scheme of things. Rather than making a stink, Shannon simply laughed off the moment, taking it for what it is.
Here's what it is in regards to TSJ Jr.
When his reputation and character were being driven through the mud, Terrence rose above the muck, staying true to himself, working harder than ever before, and coming out of these unfortunate circumstances a greater player and teammate, and more importantly, a better person!
When his reputation and character were being driven through the mud, Terrence rose above the muck, staying true to himself, working harder than ever before, and coming out of these unfortunate circumstances a greater player and teammate, and more importantly, a better person!
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