Terrence Shannon Jr., who was discovered not responsible of felony rape and aggravated assault by a jury in Kansas earlier this month, was chosen by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the twenty seventh decide within the NBA draft on Wednesday night time.
The Illinois guard was arrested in December for an alleged incident in September at a bar in Lawrence, Kansas, after a girl alleged that he pulled her towards him and penetrated her vagina together with his fingers shortly after they met.
Shannon constantly denied the allegations, and witnesses for his protection through the trial stated they by no means noticed Shannon method a girl within the method described by police. Following the alleged incident, the girl discovered Shannon’s image in a roster of the workforce on-line then went to police.
After his arrest, Shannon was suspended by Illinois, which launched its personal investigation. He missed six video games earlier than he retained a short lived restraining order and returned to the courtroom. He then led the workforce to the NCAA event. The varsity subsequently dropped its investigation, citing a scarcity of proof.
“The off-court popularity is sterling. Speak to the coaches at Texas Tech. Speak to the coaches at Illinois. They do not say good issues. They are saying superb issues,” Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly stated Wednesday night time. “Clearly he was on the unsuitable finish of a very unlucky scenario, and his means to play via that and play successful basketball for an ideal coach in Brad Underwood — we simply suppose he brings toughness.”
Connelly stated the Timberwolves “did a ton” of background work on Shannon with an curiosity in his expertise, fortitude and scoring means from anyplace on the courtroom.
“Oftentimes, the minute you are accused you are discovered responsible. Fortunately he went the authorized course of. He selected to go to trial as a result of he knew he did nothing unsuitable,” Connelly stated. “I simply suppose it is a disgrace he went via that, and I feel it is a testomony to who he’s as a child and his means to play via a very robust distraction.”
Previous to his arrest in December, Shannon was a projected top-25 decide for this yr’s NBA draft. General, the fifth-year senior performed in 31 video games this season, averaging 23.0 factors and 4.0 rebounds.
An explosive wing who made strides together with his ground recreation this season, Shannon ought to assist the Timberwolves as a fringe defender who can rating in transition.
“I feel he is a three-position defender. I feel he is an unbelievably aggressive man. He is obtained measurement. One other downhill man who’s going to play with tempo,” Connelly stated.
The Related Press and ESPN’s Myron Medcalf and Jonathan Givony contributed to this report.