Illinois Basketball: 5 observations from the Illini win over UCLA

2. Illinois has a superstar in Terrence Shannon Jr.

The momentum that Sencire Harris built in the second half against UCLA was something special. Illinois looked a little lost at the time, so this helped light a fire under the program. One player who responded well was Terrence Shannon Jr.

Shannon had a great game. He was going to put up a solid stat line win or lose, but what he did down the stretch against the Bruins was something I haven’t seen in a long time against an opponent.

To start the second half, Shannon had 10 points on the night and was 3-of-3 from the field and 2-of-2 from three-point range. Overall, that was looking like a solid night for the talented wing. But Illinois didn’t need a solid night out of Shannon. We needed a big night and he delivered.

Down 15 points in the second half, Shannon went on a scoring spree. He ended up going 6-of-10 from the field and 6-of-7 from three-point range in the second half. He would end up scoring 19 points in the final 19 minutes for the Illini.

By the end of the game, Shannon would finish with a stat line of 29 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, and one block. He was sensational for the Orange and Blue. Illinois could score the ball, but we needed a big night out of Shannon, and he came through.

The ability to knock down shots from anywhere on the court makes Shannon a special player. He can pull up from any spot and knock down a bucket. If he continues on this tear, there is a legit shot he wins the Naismith Trophy for the best college basketball player. This kid is a superstar.