Underwood: 'We'll figure it out'
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CHAMPAIGN — Brad Underwood spent the past three months knowing inquiries were being made into Terrence Shannon Jr. by the Lawrence, Kan., police department. That Shannon was being investigated for an alleged incident in early September.
That was it. Details were limited, and Underwood was not alone in having a limited understanding what it might mean.
Then the arrest warrant for Shannon arrived Wednesday afternoon. Underwood was informed by athletic director Josh Whitman following his team's practice. The next step was clear. Shannon, facing a charge of rape for the alleged incident in Lawrence, would automatically be suspended in a decision-making process that did not include the Illini coach.
Underwood spent a sleepless night Wednesday both trying to figure out how to address his team and how to continue preparations for Friday's final regular season nonconference game against Fairleigh Dickinson.
"We met with our team (Thursday) to explain kind of the circumstances, the path forward," Underwood said. "I'm fortunate because this policy is in place, when the suspension was announced, that I get to coach basketball. There's a locker room of 14 others guys in there that need my undivided attention."
The path forward — at least Friday night — was a No. 11-ranked Illinois team that eventually figured out a way to play without its best player. What Underwood called an "uneasy start" turned into a 104-71 victory against the Knights.
"It's a blessing that I have to have an old team and a team that is very dedicated and committed to each other and the process," Underwood said. The Illinois coach was the only person to speak after the game. While sophomore guard Ty Rodgers did a radio interview — on a network show affiliated with the university — no players were made available to the media.
"I tell them every day this is the most connected group of players that I've coached," Underwood continued. "That showed (Friday). ... I thought it was a very matter of fact performance by those guys. They handled that part of it very, very well."
Still, not having Shannon alters Illinois' entire dynamic. The Illini managed against Fairleigh Dickinson with six players in double figures and three of them posting double-doubles. But that's against a team currently projected to finish in the middle of the Northeastern Conference pack.
Doing the same in the Big Ten will be different. Certainly not as easy. That's a challenge Illinois will soon face with conference play resuming Tuesday against Northwestern.
"It's what we get paid to do," Underwood said about his coaching staff. "Guys get sick. Guys get injured. This is a very serious matter, obviously, and I don't want to downplay it like that, but we've got as connected a group and a group of guys that believe and we'll keep working to get better.
"We have really good players. I think it may look somewhat different at time. ... You figure out how to score points. We scored 104. You have to move those pieces and shift them a little bit. No doubt he was at the top of every opponents' scouting report. We'll see what that shifts. I don't have a great answer for that yet, but we'll figure it out because we've got really good players and talented guys."
Underwood said he didn't dwell on the fact something was looming over Shannon the entire season after word arrived of the Lawrence police department investigation. His focus was on helping his team improve.
"Wednesday was a different day because we found out there was a serious allegation," Underwood said. "Obviously, very, very serious allegations. A very troubling situation. I'm blessed we're at a place we take these things extremely seriously. It's something we never tolerate. It's also something that I hope everybody understands that I have no ability to comment on legal situations and anything that's a pending legal matter. That's out of respect for all parties involved and the sensitivity of the situation."
Per DIA policy, Underwood was not involved in the decision to suspend Shannon once it reached that stage. While Underwood was kept apprised of the situation starting in late September and said he worked hand in hand with Whitman through the process, the nature of the allegations and the magnitude of the situation left the decision to trigger the misconduct policy to the Illinois athletic director.
"We don't want our coaches conducting their own investigations and asking questions," Whitman said. "That's not their lane. ... I was impressed by Brad's message, by his tone (in informing the team). I was grateful to our team for their maturity and for their connectedness."
