Tim Connelly: Wolves did 'a ton' of work in drafting Terrence Shannon Jr.

Shannon was acquitted of a rape charge in June.

Mar 30, 2024; Boston, MA, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Terrence Shannon Jr. (0) dribbles the ball against Connecticut Huskies guard Hassan Diarra (10) in the finals of the East Regional of the 2024 NCAA Tournament at TD Garden. / © Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports

While the Timberwolves' aggressive draft brought about plenty of praise, it also didn't come without a certain amount of controversy.

The Wolves selected Illinois guard Terrence Shannon Jr. with the No. 27 overall pick Wednesday. Shannon gives the Wolves an excellent scorer and shooter, averaging 23.0 points off 48% shooting from the field in 2023. But his final year at Illinois was mired in controversy for off-court reasons.

Shannon faced a sexual assault accusation that resulted in a rape charge, which led to a suspension from the university. A judge ruled that Shannon's civil rights had been violated by the suspension, and he was reinstated after missing six games. Shannon maintained his innocence and later testified at his trial. In mid-June, Shannon was acquitted of the charge.

Speaking with the media after night one of the NBA draft, Wolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly maintained that Shannon's off-court reputation is "sterling."

"We talked to the coaches at Texas Tech, we talked to the coaches at Illinois. They don't say good things, they say amazing things," Connelly said when discussing the selection of Shannon at No. 27. "Obviously, he was on the wrong end of a really unfortunate situation. His ability to play through that, play winning basketball for a great coach in Brad Underwood."

When asked about how much work the team did into looking into the case, Connelly said the team did "a ton" of work.

"I think it's a shame that it's even a footnote. I think it it's a shame to say he was acquitted — I think if you really dig, it's a really unfortunate thing for a kid by all accounts ... is a great kid," Connelly said. "Oftentimes, the minute you're accused, you're found guilty.

"Thankfully he went through the legal process. He chose to go to trial because he knew he did nothing wrong. I just think it's a shame he went through that and I think it's a testament to who he is as a kid and his ability to play through a really tough distraction."

Shannon will look to add a needed scoring punch to a Timberwolves squad that reached the Western Conference finals this past season.