Column: Can Illinois shut out the criticism around Terrence Shannon Jr. and make it back to the Final Four?

Terrence Shannon Jr. returned this week after being suspended from the Illinois men’s basketball team following a rape charge in Kansas, but the spotlight on the Illini star only figures to grow brighter in the days and weeks leading up to the NCAA Tournament.

That was apparent Wednesday night at Welsh-Ryan Arena, where Shannon and the No. 10 Illini took on Northwestern in their first road game since Shannon’s return. And Wildcats fans let Shannon hear it, shouting “No means no” in the first half, “Lock him up” in the second half, and chanting “Guilty” in overtime.

Northwestern took the upset overtime win Wednesday, beating Illinois 96-91.

Illinois coach Brad Underwood downplayed the negative chants, calling it “insignificant” and “life on the road” in the Big Ten.

“We get all kinds of chants,” Underwood said. “We’re playing basketball. We’ve been in a lot of environments in this league. I had chicken wings thrown at me last year at Maryland.”

There’s always been some animosity when the state rivals meet, but the revival of Northwestern’s program the last two seasons and another chance at a Big Ten title for Illinois only added fuel to the fire.

Boo Buie led the Wildcats with 29 points, and Brooks Barnhizer added 23 in another huge win over a ranked team. Northwestern beat then-top-ranked Purdue at home in December. With the victory, Northwestern improved to 14-5 and 5-3 in the Big Ten. The Illini fell to 14-5 and are also 5-3.

Shannon’s long-range 3 with 3:35 left tied the game at 72, setting up the wild ending. Justin Harmon’s jumper in the lane gave the Illini the lead with 36 seconds remaining, but Buie answered with a layup on the next trip down the court. Illinois had the ball and one last shot in regulation, but Marcus Domask’s jumper missed to send the game into overtime.

The game featured 15 ties and 18 lead changes, and neither team led by more than five points before Barnhizer’s 3 with 2:53 left in overtime. Barnhinzer was fouled and converted the free throw for a four-point play to give the Wildcats an 83-76 lead. The Wildcats pulled away, outscoring the Illini 20-15 in the OT session.

Northwestern coach Chris Collins said as good as Illinois was “we knew we had to win tonight,” referring to the back-and-forth action as a heavyweight fight.

“What a game,” he said. “The atmosphere was electric ... It doesn’t become a true rivalry until we start winning our fair share.”

Hours before Illinois stepped on the court, the university released a statement on Shannon’s status and Underwood’s decision to play him. Shannon returned to the team Sunday in a win against Rutgers after a United States federal court granted a temporary restraining order, ending the suspension after six games.

Associate Chancellor Robin Kaler said Underwood wasn’t involved in the university’s decision to suspend Shannon or to reinstate him, adding that the coach “was instructed to treat Mr. Shannon as he would any other member of the team in good standing and not limit participation based on the involved allegations.”

In other words, the university basically was saying Shannon would be allowed to continue playing until a resolution of the criminal case, which isn’t expected until after the 2023-24 season, and, oh, by the way, please don’t blame the coach for putting him in the lineup instead of opting for any disciplinary measures.

No one should be surprised. Underwood needs Shannon to win, and Shannon needs to perform to improve his chances of getting into the NBA. They’re both motivated. The Illini’s chances of competing for a Big Ten title and national championship obviously were boosted by the court’s decision to reinstate the team’s best player, and the coach needs that player on the floor.

Why Kaler felt the need to release her statement is unknown, but it’s just another twist in the story that became public when Illinois suspended Shannon from “all team activities” Dec. 28 after a warrant was issued for his arrest.

Shannon was charged Dec. 5 with rape or an alternative count of sexual battery but continued playing for the Illini, scoring a career-high 33 points that night in a 98-89 win against Florida Atlantic. Shannon played three more games, but after a warrant was issued for his arrest, Illinois suspended him on Dec. 28 from “all team activities, effective immediately.”

Illinois athletic director Josh Whitman said at the time that he didn’t see the charging documents until they were on social media, hours after he was informed of the charge. News apparently travels slowly in Champaign.

It looked as if the Illini’s season was all but over and they would be relegated to the second division of the Big Ten standings and looking at another early exit from the NCAA Tournament, not that a first- or second-round loss was anything unusual for an Underwood-coached team.

Shannon led the Illini in scoring and was considered a national player of the year candidate before the suspension. One voter completely dropped them out of the Top 25 before the Illini had even played a game without Shannon. That’s how important he is to the lineup.

But Domask, a Southern Illinois transfer, and others stepped up and helped keep Illinois in the rankings and in the conference race. Illinois went 4-2 during Shannon’s suspension and even hung with then-top-ranked Purdue on Jan. 5 in West Lafayette, Ind., before losing 83-78.

Maybe they could survive without their top dog? It would’ve been interesting to see.

But on Jan. 9, Shannon’s attorneys sought a temporary restraining order, claiming the university did not follow protocols in suspending the student-athlete. And on Friday, U.S. District Judge Colleen Lawless granted the injunction, saying Shannon would “suffer irreparable harm” by not playing for the Illini. The suspension “can and will impact his career opportunities, current income from his NIL (name, image, likeness) contract, and anticipated future income,” she wrote.

Shannon, who denied the victim’s allegations, was welcomed back with open arms in Champaign, where he was popular with students and alumni. Illini fans cheered him on when he came out for warmups Sunday before the win against Rutgers, and he received a standing ovation when he came off the bench a little more than two minutes into the game.

Shannon’s future remains uncertain as he faces serious allegations. The rape charge carries a sentence of 12-54 years in prison. But until he gets his day in court, Shannon will be able to showcase his skills for NBA scouts. The Illini, who moved up from No. 14 to No. 10 in the latest AP poll, could be on their way to big things if he plays to his potential and his supporting cast continues to show up.

After so many tournament disappointments after strong seasons, the Illini will try to shut out the criticism and ride on Shannon’s back into a Final Four.

And if that happens, don’t look for any apologies.