Big Ten officials told the Wisconsin pep band to stop chanting “no means no” at Illinois basketball star Terrence Shannon Jr. during the Big Ten Tournament on Sunday. They reportedly threatened to kick them out if the chant did not cease immediately.
Though the band was not allowed to continue, fans were not subject to the same rules.
Brian Hamilton, a senior writer for The Athletic, asked the pair of Big Ten officials for an explanation as to why the Badgers could not continue. They dismissed his question.
The Big Ten’s demand stemmed from the Shannon’s first two free throws of the game. Wisconsin’s band could be heard chanting “no means no” on the CBS broadcast.
— – (@Spicoli_____) March 17, 2024
This is something that has followed the Illini guard throughout the second half of the season.
Terrence Shannon Jr. was arrested for rape.
Shannon, who led the team in scoring with an average of 22.6 points per game, was suspended indefinitely after being arrested on a felony rape charge in December. The alleged incident occurred on Sept. 8 while he was visiting Lawrence, Kansas for a football game.
A woman told police that Shannon touched her inappropriately before he sexually assaulted her at the bar. He was then booked for “rape; sexual intercourse without consent and use of force.”
His initial suspension was handed down by Illinois’ Division of Intercollegiate Athletics on Dec. 28. Athletic director Josh Whitman said at the time that Illinois and its DIA have “shown time and again that we have zero tolerance for sexual misconduct.”
Shannon was removed from all team activities while continuing to maintain his innocence. It was not until he was granted a temporary restraining order against the university that he was allowed to return.
The federal judge’s decision put a pause on the university’s indefinite suspension ruling and allowed him to return to the team. Shannon was immediately reinstated to full status as a student-athlete in late January.
A preliminary hearing date has been set for May 10. Terrence Shannon Jr. and the State of Kansas wiill present their evidence and testimonies on that day.
In the meantime, the Fighting Illini have their sights set on a national title.
Wisconsin’s band was not allowed to chant about the alleged incident.
Illinois reached the Big Ten Championship behind two strong performances from Shannon. He scored 28 points against Ohio State in the Quarterfinals and 40 points against Nebraska in the Semifinals.
That set up a matchup against Wisconsin.
The Badgers band chanted “no means no” at Shannon early in the first half. They were then banned from doing so for the remainder of the game by the Big Ten.