Illinois AD Takes Blame for Terrence Shannon Jr.'s Jersey Banner Revealed Upside Down

Illinois retired Terrence Shannon Jr.'s jersey during Saturday's men's basketball game against Michigan State, but the celebration was upstaged by a mistake.

The banner showing his retired jersey was upside down when it was revealed at halftime.

Athletic director Josh Whitman accepted responsibility for the blunder.

"Before we get into the substance of the game tonight, obviously, we had a regrettable situation at halftime with the jersey around [Shannon's] celebration," he said after the game, per ESPN's Myron Medcalf.

"Obviously, a really regrettable moment. It's a shame that it happened that way. Of course, I didn't hang the jersey but I'm ultimately responsible for everything that happens in this building and ultimately, that means that was on me tonight. We need to make sure we understand that in life, mistakes happen.

"But there are also certain moments where mistakes can't happen. And tonight, we stole that moment from [Shannon] and that's on us and something that we have apologized to him for, apologized to his mom. We want to make sure that we apologize to our fans and everybody who was excited to be a part of this experience tonight."

The situation was eventually rectified, and Whitman took a photo alongside Shannon:

Despite the celebration, Michigan State won the game 79-65 behind 23 points from Jaxon Kohler. The Spartans improved to 11-3 in Big Ten play and are just a half-game behind the 11-2 Michigan Wolverines for first place in the conference.

The upside down banner wasn't the only surprise of the evening.

"I was shocked because I was only here for two years," Shannon, who transferred to Illinois from Texas Tech, said before the game. "I was just happy. I'm grateful to have the opportunity to get my jersey up there. I'm just happy."

Shannon made the most of his two seasons on the court with Illinois.

He was named to the All-Big Ten First Team twice, was the Big Ten Tournament MVP in 2024, and was named to the Associated Press All-America Third Team in his final season while averaging 23.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.0 steals per game.

The Fighting Illini advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament, and the Minnesota Timberwolves then selected him in the first round of the 2024 NBA draft.

Despite the on-court accolades, Medcalf noted Shannon was suspended during the 2023-24 season because he was charged with sexual assault. Yet he was reinstated following a legal challenge from his lawyers.

Shannon was also found not guilty of rape and aggravated sexual assault during his ensuing trial.

He has since appeared in 16 games for the Timberwolves during his rookie season in the NBA.