Terrence Shannon Jr.

Lore & Background

Shannon was born to Treanette Redding and Terrence Shannon Sr. His mother and father separated when he was two years old. He has four siblings through his mom and three through his dad. He attended Lincoln Park High School in Chicago, averaging 15 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game as a senior. He was also a receiver on the school's football team. After having no NCAA Division I basketball scholarship offers by the end of his senior season, he reclassified to the 2019 class and moved to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. A four-star recruit, he originally committed to DePaul before switching his commitment to Texas Tech. He chose the Red Raiders over offers from DePaul, Florida State, Georgetown and Illinois.

Reader's Guide

Shannon entered his freshman season as one of Texas Tech's starting guards. As a freshman, he averaged 9.8 points and 4.1 rebounds per game, earning Big 12 Conference All-Freshman Team honors. As a sophomore, he averaged 12.9 points, four rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 1.1 steals per game, earning Third-team All-Big 12 honors. On April 8, 2021, he declared for the 2021 NBA draft while maintaining his college eligibility, but ultimately returned to Texas Tech for a third season. As a junior, he averaged 10.4 points, 2.6 rebounds, and two assists per game. On March 25, 2022, he entered the NCAA transfer portal. On April 29, 2022, he committed to Illinois. After his first season at Illinois, he declared for the 2023 NBA draft and played in the NBA draft combine, but later withdrew and returned to Illinois for a second and final season. In the 2023–24 season, he played 11 games before being suspended for six games; after a preliminary injunction was granted, his suspension was ended and he resumed playing the rest of the season. On June 26, 2024, Shannon was selected with the 27th overall pick by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2024 NBA draft, and on July 8, he signed with Minnesota. Throughout his rookie season, he was assigned to the Iowa Wolves several times. On February 24, 2025, Shannon recorded his first double-double in the NBA, recording 17 points along with 10 rebounds in a 131–128 overtime win against the Oklahoma City Thunder. On February 27, 2025, he scored a then career-high 25 points in a 111–102 loss against the Los Angeles Lakers. On April 8, 2026, Shannon scored a career high 33 points in a 120–132 loss against the Orlando Magic. On April 30, 2026, in his first career playoff start, he scored a playoff career-high 24 points in a 110–98 closeout Game 6 victory over the Denver Nuggets in the first round.

Did You Know?

• Shannon holds the Big Ten men's basketball tournament single-game record for most points scored: 40 (March 16, 2024).
• He holds multiple Illinois Fighting Illini single-season records, including most points scored (736) and most free throws made (212) in 2023–24.
• Shannon was accused of rape in September 2023 and was arrested on December 27, 2023, but was later acquitted.