Overview
From Chicago, IL, Shannon played for Lincoln Park in high school but didn’t have any D1 offers, so he reclassified and transferred to IMG Academy where he thrived en route being a consensus four-star recruit. He originally committed to DePaul before switching to Texas Tech. He was named to the Big 12 All-Freshman team but didn’t show drastic improvement in his final two seasons as a Red Raider before moving to Champaign. Shannon’s final collegiate season was interrupted in December after being suspended indefinitely by Illinois. He was reinstated in January after the school’s investigation ended with insufficient evidence and was allowed to finish the 2023-24 campaign. Shannon was named first-team All-Big Ten, third-team All-American and was the 2024 Big Ten Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, as he led Illinois to a championship win over Wisconsin. He averaged 23 points per game on 57/36/80 shooting splits for the season and dropped 34 on the Badgers.
Analysis
Shannon is at his best when he’s going downhill in transition. When defenders give him space, he’s more than capable of knocking down open looks off the dribble. At 6-foot-6, Shannon has the size and athleticism to guard multiple positions, and he has great defensive instincts, though he tends to take too many chances in the passing lanes.
Projection
Shannon is a gifted offensive player, and that should translate to the NBA, but he may need to refine his game before becoming a prominent player. At 23 years old, he’s older than most prospects in his class, but that doesn’t mean he can’t make strides over the next few years. Shannon is a couple of inches taller than guys like De’Aaron Fox and Vince Williams but may have just as much offensive upside as those players. However, Shannon isn’t a natural point guard, so Kelly Oubre Jr. may be a more just comparison.
— Profile by RotoWire