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Terrence Shannon Jr. went from the courtroom back to the basketball court Thursday when he was found not guilty in his rape trial.
The former Illinois basketball star faced charges for rape and aggravated sexual battery in a Kansas courtroom, based on allegations made by an 18-year-old woman at a bar near the University of Kansas campus in September.
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A jury found him not guilty on both counts after deliberating 90 minutes on Thursday.
Shannon took the stand Thursday while family members looked on. He vehemently denied the allegations, which came from an incident during a trip he had made to watch an Illini at Kansas football game last fall.
“I never touched, grabbed, pulled over. … That did not happen,” Shannon told the jury, according to published reports.
Moving forward
Mar 30, 2024; Boston, MA, USA;Illinois Fighting Illini guard Terrence Shannon Jr. (0) dribbles the ball against Connecticut Huskies center Donovan Clingan (32) in the finals of the East Regional of the 2024 NCAA Tournament at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports
The 6-foot-6, 225-pound Chicago native is projected to be a first-round pick in the upcoming 2024 NBA Draft.
The Illini suspended him from Dec. 27 through Jan. 19 when the allegations surfaced, during which he missed six games.
Shannon went on to lead the team in scoring, ranking second in the Big Ten and third in the NCAA at 23.0 ppg. He was named first-team All-Big Ten by the coaches, media and The Associated Press. He was chosen second-team All-American by 247Sports and CBS Sports, third-team All-American by AP, and honorable mention All-American by USBWA.
Background info: Former Illinois basketball player Terrence Shannon Jr. to face trial on rape charge
“I just focus on what I can control,” Shannon said in published reports last month. “I control me working every day and putting in the work.”
That work helped the Illini to the Big Ten…
Source link : https://www.yahoo.com/news/not-guilty-illini-basketball-star-003215760.html
Author : Journal Star
Publish date : 2024-06-14 00:32:15
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