Illinois basketball player Terrence Shannon Jr. charged with rape in Kansas, suspended from team

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A star player on the University of Illinois basketball team has been charged with rape in Kansas, the school said.

Chicago native Terrence Shannon Jr. has been suspended from the team by the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics, per the university's policy on sexual misconduct allegations.

The 23-year-old posted bail in Lawrence, Kansas, Thursday and has returned to Champaign, Illinois, the school said in a news release.

The alleged rape incident happened on Sept. 8, when Shannon traveled to see the Illinois at Kansas football game, the school said.

"The University and DIA have shown time and again that we have zero tolerance for sexual misconduct," Director of Athletics Josh Whitman said in a news release. "At the same time, DIA policy affords student-athletes appropriate levels of due process based on the nature and severity of the allegations. We will rely on that policy and our prior experiences to manage this situation appropriately for the University and the involved parties."

The student-athlete was not traveling with the university at the time of the incident, the school said.

Shannon went to Lincoln Park High School and he leads the Illini team this season in points and assists, according to ESPN statistics.

He will not be on the court for the team's next game Friday night.

Statement from Shannon's attorney:

Since September, when these allegations surfaced, Terrence has cooperated with law enforcement throughout the investigation, declaring his innocence from the beginning. Now, several months later, my office learned that formal charges were filed against him yesterday in Lawrence, KS. In less than 24 hours, my client responded, and he voluntarily surrendered to local authorities for processing and release. Terrence is innocent of these charges, and he intends to take his case to trial.