Terrence Shannon Jr., who was found not guilty of felony rape and aggravated assault by a jury in Kansas earlier this month, was selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the 27th overall pick in the NBA draft on Wednesday night.
The Illinois guard was arrested in December for an alleged incident in September at a bar in Lawrence, Kansas, after a woman alleged that he pulled her toward him and penetrated her vagina with his fingers shortly after they met.
Shannon consistently denied the allegations, and witnesses for his defense during the trial said they never saw Shannon approach a woman in the manner described by police. Following the alleged incident, the woman found Shannon’s picture in a roster of the team online and then went to police.
After his arrest, Shannon was suspended by Illinois, which launched its own investigation. He missed six games before he retained a temporary restraining order and returned to the court. He then led the team to the NCAA tournament. The school subsequently dropped its investigation, citing a lack of evidence.
Prior to his arrest in December, Shannon was a projected top-25 pick for this year’s NBA draft. Overall, the fifth-year senior played in 31 games this season, averaging 23.0 points and 4.0 rebounds.
An explosive wing who made strides with his floor game this season, Shannon should help the Timberwolves as a perimeter defender who can score in transition.
ESPN’s Myron Medcalf and Jonathan Givony contributed to this report.