Former Illinois star Terrence Shannon Jr. uses upside-down banner mishap to sell T-shirts for charity

Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune on Feb 19, 2025

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Former Illinois guard Terrence Shannon Jr. is trying to create something positive out of the school’s upside-down banner mishap over the weekend.

Illinois honored Shannon’s jersey at halftime of its loss to Michigan State on Saturday. But when Shannon pulled a string to reveal the banner that would hang at the State Farm Center, it was upside down.

On Tuesday, Shannon unveiled on social media a T-shirt with an image of his upside-down banner on it. On the back of the navy blue shirt, it reads: “When life has you upside down, turn it around! —TSJ” The words “upside down” are written upside down.

Shannon wrote that proceeds from the shirt will benefit the Don Moyer Boys & Girls Club in Champaign. A short-sleeved shirt costs $35 and a long-sleeved version is $50.

After Illinois’ 95-74 loss to Wisconsin on Tuesday night, coach Brad Underwood said the Illini were “the laughingstock” after the banner mistake and he couldn’t imagine what it was like for Shannon to be in that moment. But Underwood said he was “a happy head ball coach” for how Shannon managed the situation.

Shannon, who plays for the Minnesota Timberwolves, was still on campus Monday during the NBA All-Star break and attended the Illini’s practice.

“I couldn’t be any more proud of the way that young man handled that situation — his moment, all the work that went into it — and then to turn it around and give it all to charity,” Underwood said. “My challenge to all the great Illini fans out there, do something great and go buy that shirt. I’m going to go buy hundreds of them.”

Illinois staff flipped the banner after the Michigan State game and took photos of Shannon and Underwood with it. Athletic director Josh Whitman then held a short briefing with reporters to publicly apologize to Shannon, his mother and fans.

“Obviously a really regrettable moment,” Whitman said. “It’s a shame that it happened that way. Of course I didn’t hang the jersey, but I’m ultimately responsible for everything that happens in this building. And ultimately that means that was on me tonight.”

Illinois honored Shannon this year, along with former Illini center Kofi Cockburn, after the Lincoln Park alumnus spent two seasons with the program, leading Illinois to the Elite Eight last year.

Shannon was named a second- and third-team All-American by multiple outlets after a 2023-24 season in which he set an Illinois single-season record with 736 points and was third in the country in scoring with 23 points per game.

His standout numbers came despite missing six games after he was accused of sexual assault at a bar in Kansas while attending an Illinois football game in September.

A Kansas jury found Shannon not guilty of felony rape and aggravated sexual assault in June.

In an interview before the Michigan State game and banner mishap, Shannon said he was shocked to receive the phone call from Illinois that his jersey would be honored because he was at the school for only two seasons after transferring from Texas Tech. He said he was “just happy, just grateful” to have a banner in the rafters.

“I didn’t let anything distract me,” Shannon said of last season. “I kept my focus on my team and I did the best we could to get the wins.”