Former Illinois guard Terrence Shannon Jr. found not guilty in rape trial

Terrence Shannon Jr., a former Illinois guard and potential first-round NBA draft pick, was found not guilty of charges of rape and aggravated sexual battery Thursday after deliberations by a Douglas County, Kan., jury.

Shannon, 23, was accused of sexually assaulting a woman while visiting Lawrence, Kan., for a Sept. 8 football game. He was charged on Dec. 5.

A woman told police she was at a bar early Sept. 9 when she was summoned by a man, who grabbed her buttocks, reached under her skirt and touched her sexually, according to an investigative report. She later identified Shannon from an online team roster.

Shannon testified Thursday that he never touched the woman. Witnesses for his defense, including Kansas center Hunter Dickinson and former Jayhawk Kevin McCullar, testified they did not witness Shannon acting inappropriately that night.

Shannon missed six games while suspended following his December arrest, returning to the team after a federal judge granted a request for a temporary restraining order in January. As a fifth-year student last season, Shannon was the NCAA’s third-leading scorer with 23 points per game and helped Illinois advance to the Elite Eight before the team fell to eventual NCAA Tournament champion UConn.

Illinois coach Brad Underwood released a statement following Thursday’s verdict, saying he’s “thrilled for Terrence.”

“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 forward 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 dreams.”

Shannon attended the NBA Draft Combine last month in Chicago, where he told reporters he was “looking forward to (his) day in court.”

The NBA Draft is June 26.

(Photo: Winslow Townson / USA Today)