CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — After being in this business for 21 years, I find myself thinking I will never see anything like this again. But each year there is that one student-athlete that raises the bar.
Illinois fans, Terrence Shannon Jr., a 6-foot-6, 225-pound guard from Chicago, oftentimes has been taken for granted on the court and off. Last week in an exhibition game, Illinois defeated the Kansas Jayhawks, the nation's number one team. Shannon single-handedly led the Illini to victory, scoring 28 points, 5-9 from three and two steals.
Just recently Shannon Jr. was named to the NABC Player of the Year Watch list; he is one of four Big Ten players to make the list. He is a preseason unanimous selection for the All-Big Ten team.
However, besides all of the accolades and being the great athlete Shannon is, he is a better person. We always read about the greatness of some players off the court; I am sure most of it is true. But if anyone has the chance to meet Terrence, you might be shocked. There is this amazing athlete we all witness flying through the air, dunking, shooting all doing all the things necessary to win games, and he is a well-spoken man.
During the Kansas game, a teammate (close friend) Justin Harmon reached out to give Shannon a high-five; Shannon did not acknowledge it, but out of the corner of his eye, Shannon saw Harmon walking away right before the official was ready to put the ball in play. Shannon hustled to let his teammate know, “I appreciate you” and greeted him with the handshake he accidentally missed.
During Illinois media day, Shannon could tell I wanted to talk to him individually when other reporters were there.
After I walked about, Shannon said, "Hey, man, you ready? I didn't forget you, I saw you standing there. Whatcha got for me? I appreciate what you do for me with your coverage."
Before the Illini went on their Spain trip, the media was allowed to watch practice. Head coach Brad Underwood was pushing his troops hard.
Randomly Underwood said, "TJ, take a break, get something to drink."
Shannon looked at assistant coach Tim Anderson and said innocently, "Coach TA, did I do something wrong? If so, what did I do?"
Coach Underwood heard Shannon; he smiled and said, "No, son, you're fine. You deserve a break," and winked his eye and gave him a pat on his back.
Several weeks ago during Homecoming, the football team hosted the Wisconsin Badgers. On that visit, the men's basketball team had a recruit on campus, Aleks Alston, a 6-foot-9, 170-pound small forward from Chicago. Shannon was the host for the four-star recruit. On the field, Shannon was talking to Alston about his experience being an Illini and why it is good to stay home.
During my interview with Alson prior to starting, he said, "Shannon is great for this school, he is really passionate about Illinois and the fanbase."
This is Shannon's last year; the second year will be gone before you know it. He is not only one of the all-time great basketball players to play for Illinois, but when he leaves, he will have left his mark not only in the record books, but also in the community.
Shannon wanted Illinois fans to know via the university profile page that there is another side of him.
"I'm a big animal guy; I love animals and watching animal videos,” he said, and also is a “Big Christmas guy; it’s my favorite time of the year.”
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Twitter: @KedPrince4
Check out more from Kedric Prince's Q.C. Illini Report at WQAD
