Illinois Basketball: Illini nabs one spot on the preseason All-Big Ten team

One last ride for Illinois basketball guard Terrence Shannon Jr. is starting off with a bang.

The Big Ten handed out awards once the 2022-23 campaign concluded. There wasn’t a lot of Illini flair to these awards, though. Purdue’s Zach Edey won the Big Ten Player of the Year, Jalen Hood-Schifino from Indiana was the Freshman of the Year, and Chris Collins from Northwestern won the Coach of the Year.

Illinois did manage to snag two spots on the All-Big Ten teams, though. Terrence Shannon Jr. made the first team, but it wasn’t unanimous. Matthew Mayer was named to the third team.

Mayer is now gone, but Shannon decided to pull his name out of the NBA Draft and come back for one more season. His decision to return to Champaign is already looking like a good one. On Friday afternoon, the Big Ten released its preseason awards.

Edey is obviously the preseason Player of the Year in the Big Ten. They also named the preseason All-Big Ten team. Among the players to make this roster was Shannon. This time, Shannon is in all capital letters meaning he is a unanimous selection on the preseason All-Big Ten team.

Look for multiple Illinois basketball players to join Terrence Shannon Jr. in making the postseason All-Big Ten team

Shannon earned the selection to the preseason All-Big Ten team. He was a first-team player last year, so it is natural that he makes it to start the 2023-24 season as well. Shannon finished last season averaging 17.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.3 blocks per game.

I think, by season’s end, Shannon is going to be a unanimous All-Big Ten first-team player for the Illini. I don’t think he will be alone, though.

Coleman Hawkins joined Shannon in returning to the Illinois lineup this offseason. He too entered his name into the NBA Draft pool only to pull out and come back to Champaign. Hawkins averaged 9.9 points and led Illinois with 6.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game. I think Hawkins could easily make an All-Big Ten team in 2023-24.

I believe Luke Goode is another name to keep an eye on. He knocked down 42.1% of his three-point shots last season, and Goode is finally healthy at the start of a season. Don’t sleep on Marcus Domask either. The Southern Illinois transfer is gaining a lot of momentum this offseason, and he can play numerous positions on the court. I expect him to contribute in multiple statistical categories.

Illinois has a loaded roster for the upcoming season. There are talented players everywhere. Look for multiple Illini players to join Shannon at the end of the season on the All-Big Ten rosters.