Illinois Coach Brad Underwood To Terrence Shannon: "Your Name Belongs In The Rafters Forever"
Illinois coach Brad Underwood once was on a staff that coached Michael Beasley, who became the No. 2 in the NBA Draft in 2008.
Beasley's season at Kansas State probably on par with how much guard Terrence Shannon meant to the Fighting Illini. When news broke of Shannon's No. 0 jersey eventually being raised in the rafters at State Farm Center, Underwood refused to hold back his emotions in a post on X.
"After one of the best single seasons in Illinois history, Terrence cemented his place among our Illini greats," Underwood wrote. "I'm thrilled his legacy will be celebrated not just in the record books but in State Farm Center with our fans and future Illini."
Shannon will become the 36th player in Illini history to earn the distinction. The last was Kofe Cockburn's No. 21 going up last season.
Shannon joins the likes of Dwight Eddleman (No. 40), Kenny Battle (No. 33), Nick Anderson (No. 25), Ayo Dosunmu (No. 11), Kendal Gill (No. 13) and Dee Brown (No. 11). Last year Shannon averaged 23 points, four rebounds and 2.3 assists on 47 percent shooting.
He led the Illini to the Elite Eight, where they lost to eventual champion UConn. Shannon was named first-team All-Big Ten and second-team All-American. He is an expected first-round pick in next week's NBA draft.
— Brad Underwood (@CoachUnderwood) June 20, 2024
"Terrence is one of the great workers and one of the great leaders and one of the great competitors I've coached in my career," Underwood wrote. "He plays with passion and joy and - most importantly - is an incredible teammate. Watching him grow and perform at the level he did made last season one of the most enjoyable I've ever had. Proud of you, 0. Your name belongs in the rafters forever."
Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Illini Now. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com
SHANDEL RICHARDSON