Illinois basketball got a huge part of their roster back on Sunday. The Fighting Illini's Terrence Shannon Jr. returned to the court for the school following a multi-game suspension. Shannon played 27 minutes for the Fighting Illini in a 86-63 victory for the school over Rutgers.

SHANNON'S SAGA

Illinois basketball guard Terrence Shannon Jr. awaits ruling on temporary restraining order

Shannon Jr. has been suspended by Illinois over a legal matter. Shannon Jr. was charged with rape in December for an incident that allegedly occurred in September in Kansas. Illinois immediately suspended Shannon after learning of the charge, but a federal judge ruled last week that Shannon Jr. could play for Illinois basketball while the legal process plays out.

“This team is really connected. They saw a teammate able to come back and there's always joy in that,” Illinois coach Brad Underwood said, per Illini Guys. “This team has done an incredible job of staying in the moment.”

Shannon Jr. finished the game for Illinois with 16 points and 4 assists. The team was able to win handily, even without him on the floor. Underwood says he hopes his star player will be able to adjust quickly to playing long stretches again on the court.

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“The integration process (for Shannon Jr.) has to have some patience to it but yeah, back to who we are,” Underwood added.

Illinois basketball will need to keep getting production from Shannon Jr. as it moves forward in Big Ten play. The Fighting Illini are now 14-4 on the year after the win over Rutgers. Illinois is third in the Big Ten, with a 5-2 conference record.

Illinois next plays at Northwestern on Wednesday. The game tips off at 9:00 Eastern.