"They picked the wrong fan base to mess with": Former Illinois star Coleman Hawkins calls out critics as Terrence Shannon Jr. wins assault case 

Since Illinois guard Terrence Shannon Jr.'s acquittal on charges of rape and aggravated sexual battery, social media has been heated. Another example of the explosive rhetoric came from former Illinois basketball standout Coleman Hawkins.

When Hawkins was reminded of the aggressive treatment Shannon Jr. drew from critics, he threw a bit of Twitter shade:

"Bruh they picked the wrong fan base to mess with 🤣💯"

Now that the case is cleared, Illinois fans are rallying behind Shannon Jr. This includes Hawkins sounding off to ensure that the actions of critics toward Shannon won't be soon forgotten.

Notable instances of criticism of Shannon Jr.

Despite the allegations against him not being conclusively established, many instances of Shannon Jr. being on the receiving end of criticism occured. This was perhaps most notable during a game against Wisconsin, a longtime conference rival of the Illini, on March 17, in the Big Ten title game.

Every time Shannon Jr. prepared to sink in a basket, a section of fans would chant "no means no" at the athlete.

Wisconsin wasn't the first school to be involved in taunting Shannon Jr. over his legal issues, for example Penn State arena was filled with the same chants every time the athlete was on court in a game against Illinois on February 22.

Terrence Shannon Jr.'s future in basketball

Shannon was a highly recruited high schooler from Chicago. After spending three seasons in Texas Tech, he transferred to Illinois, scoring 17.2 points per game in his senior season in 2022-23. He considered entering the 2023 NBA draft but decided to return to school for his last year, where he averaged 23.3 points per game.

After being accused of sexual harassment in September 2023, he was suspended for six games but returned after a court granted a preliminary injunction. On Thursday, he was found not guilty of the charges.

With the legal battles no longer a concern, Shannon Jr.'s attention will go full tilt on the NBA. He was ranked No. 29 in CBS Sports NBA prospect rankings, which suggests a likely NBA draft landing spot in the late first round or early second round.

Undoubtedly, some teams were concerned about the criminal issues. However, thursday's resolution brings Terrence Shannon Jr. a step closer to his future goals in the NBA.

What did you think about the social media and crowd thunder against Terrence Shannon? We'd love to hear your thoughts below in our comments section!