Court order allows Terrence Shannon Jr. to rejoin Illini

Terrence Shannon Jr., who faces a felony rape charge, received a temporary restraining order from a federal court on Friday that will allow him to rejoin the Illinois basketball team.

The university suspended Shannon last month in relation to allegations of rape dating from September in Lawrence, Kan. Shannon went to court, arguing that he should be allowed to continuing playing for the Illini while awaiting the outcome of his case due to the presumption of innocence.

Judge Colleen Lawless of the United States District Court of the Central District of Illinois agreed with Shannon's request on Friday.

Lawless wrote, "The Plaintiff has established that he has clearly ascertainable rights that need protection and there is some likelihood of success on the merits. The Court further finds that Plaintiff has no adequate remedy at law and will suffer irreparable harm without an injunction. The potential harm to Plaintiff outweighs any harm to the University. The public interest is not harmed by granting injunctive relief to allow for additional procedural safeguards while he is presumed innocent of the criminal charges."

The university replied in a statement, "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, who faces a preliminary hearing in his criminal case on Feb. 23, tweeted, "I am grateful for the opportunity to re-join my teammates and get back to work."

Shannon, a senior guard, leads the 14th-ranked Fighting Illini with an average of 21.7 points per game, though he has missed the past six games. He has scored at least 30 points twice this season, including in his most recent contest when he put up 30 points and 11 rebounds in a Dec. 22 victory over Missouri.

Illinois, which went 4-2 in Shannon's absence, returns to action on Sunday with a home game against Rutgers.

—Field Level Media