Terrence Shannon Jr. Allowed to Rejoin Illinois After Judge's Ruling on Suspension

The U.S. Central District Court of Illinois has granted University of Illinois men's basketball player Terrence Shannon Jr.'s motion for a temporary restraining order, allowing the previously suspended guard to return following three weeks away from the team.

Jeff Goodman of The Messenger relayed the news from Shannon's legal team on Friday.

Illinois suspended Shannon from all team activities on Dec. 28 after the Douglas County (Kansas) district attorney's office issued a warrant for his arrest regarding an alleged sexual assault.

On Jan. 8, the guard filed a motion for a temporary restraining order in hopes of being "immediately" reinstated, claiming the school failed to grant him due process with the trial not scheduled to begin until June, per ESPN's Myron Medcalf. President Timothy Killeen and the school's board of trustees were listed as the defendants.

The TRO lawsuit states:

"Does the presumption of innocence really mean anything? That question is at the heart of this case. Illinois has promised (Shannon) that it would adhere to this presumption, but in practice Illinois has not applied it by suspending (Shannon) and ruining his career as if he were already convicted. [Shannon] maintains his innocence, for the record. Sexual assault is a horrific crime, and [Shannon] is appalled that his name is mentioned in the same sentence with such a crime, and he in no way seeks to minimize that it is a real problem."

Judge Colleen Lawless ruled in favor of Shannon, provided her reasoning and instructed the school to remove its suspension, per Bret Beherns of WCIA3.

Shannon released a statement afterward:

The school did as well via spokeswoman Robin Kaler: "We have received the Court's Order. Effective immediately, Terrence Shannon Jr. has been reinstated to full status as a University student-athlete and will be available for basketball practice and competition. We will continue to review the Court Order and monitor the case."

Shannon was suspended from all team activities after being arrested and charged with rape in Lawrence, Kansas, while he was there to watch a football game between Illinois and Kansas on Sept. 8. The alleged rape reportedly occurred on Sept. 9.

Per ESPN's Shwetha Surendran, a police affidavit states that a woman told Lawrence police Shannon digitally penetrated her at a bar without consent.

Medcalf also obtained a copy of the complaint, which stated that Shannon "unlawfully, feloniously, and knowingly engaged in sexual intercourse with a person ... who did not consent to the sexual intercourse under circumstances when she, was overcome by force or fear, a severity level 1 person felony."

Shannon was arrested and charged with "rape, sexual intercourse without consent and use of force."

Surendran further reported that University of Illinois police were made aware of the investigation as early as Sept. 27. School officials told ESPN that they did not have "actionable information" to suspend Shannon until Dec. 27, when the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics "received a copy of the arrest warrant and a Lawrence, Kansas police report."

Attorney Mark P. Sutter, who represents Shannon, previously stated in December that his client was innocent and noted intentions to take the case to trial.

Per NBC Sports Chicago:

"Since September, when these allegations surfaced, Terrence has cooperated with law enforcement throughout the investigation, declaring his innocence from the beginning. Now, several months later, my office learned that formal charges were filed against him yesterday in Lawrence, KS. In less than 24 hours, my client responded, and he voluntarily surrendered to local authorities for processing and release. Terrence is innocent of these charges, and he intends to take his case to trial."

Per Surendran, a preliminary hearing in the criminal case against Shannon is scheduled for Feb. 23.

Shannon, a fifth-year senior, transferred to Illinois in 2022 after playing three seasons at Texas Tech.

He's eligible to rejoin No. 14 Illinois as soon as Sunday, when the team hosts Rutgers.