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Illinois AD apologizes for Terrence Shannon Jr.'s jersey being hung upside-down during pregame ceremony

'We need to make sure we understand that in life, mistakes happen,' said Josh Whitman

ian casselberry
Contributing writer
·3-min read

Terrence Shannon Jr. had his jersey retired by the Illinois men's basketball program Saturday night. What was already going to be a memorable moment turned into an infamous one due to an embarrassing gaffe.

At halftime of the Fighting Illini's 79-65 loss to Michigan State, Shannon's jersey was raised to the rafters in an on-court ceremony. However, much to the surprise of everyone in Champaign's State Farm Center, the banner was unfurled to reveal that Shannon's No. 0 jersey was hung upside down.

The groans from the Illini fans punctuated what was already a very awkward moment for the program and especially for Shannon, who still received a notable honor but under unfortunately indelible circumstances.

Following the game, Illinois athletic director Josh Whitman addressed the blunder and apologized to Shannon, his family and Illini fans.

"Before we get into the substance of the game tonight, obviously, we had a regrettable situation at halftime with the jersey around Terrence's celebration," Whitman said to reporters. "Obviously, a really regrettable moment. 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," Whitman continued. "We need to make sure we understand that in life, mistakes happen. But there are also certain moments where mistakes can't happen. And tonight, we stole that moment from Terrence and that's on us and something that we have apologized to him for, apologized to his mom. We want to make sure that we apologize to our fans and everybody who was excited to be a part of this experience tonight."

Whitman went on to explain the banner was turned correctly so that Shannon could pose with his family and head coach Brad Underwood on the court after the game, salvaging a special moment in the Illini star's career.

In two seasons at Illinois, Shannon averaged 20.2 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists. His 736 points scored during the 2023-24 campaign were the most for a single season in program history, leading the Illini to the Elite Eight of the NCAA men's tournament.

Shannon was named third-team All-American and All-Big Ten for his performance. However, he was suspended after being charged with sexual assault. Shannon was eventually found not guilty.

Beginning his college career at Texas Tech, Shannon was a first-round pick for the Minnesota Timberwolves (No. 27 overall) in the 2024 NBA Draft. He's averaging 3.1 points in 16 games thus far through his rookie season.

Michigan State's victory made Spartans coach Tom Izzo the all-time wins leader in Big Ten history, surpassing Indiana's Bob Knight with 354 victories.