Terrence Shannon Jr., Coleman Hawkins withdrawing from NBA Draft: What it means for Illinois

Illinois guard Terrence Shannon Jr. and forward Coleman Hawkins are withdrawing from the 2023 NBA Draft and will return to Champaign next season, they announced separately on social media Wednesday. Here’s what you need to know:

• Shannon was the team’s leading scorer in 2022-23, averaging 17.2 points per game, along with a team-high 1.3 steals per game.
• Hawkins led Illinois in rebounds (6.3) and assists (3.0) per game as a junior last season.
• The Fighting Illini finished last season 20-13 and fell in the first round of the NCAA Tournament to Arkansas.

Better late than never 🤷‍♂️#Illini | #HTTO | #EveryDayGuys

— Illinois Men's Basketball (@IlliniMBB) June 1, 2023

The Athletic’s instant analysis:

Where would Hawkins and Shannon have been picked?

Both were seen as likely second rounders had they stayed in the draft. I had Shannon at No. 42 on my board, and Hawkins at No. 65 entering the day. But after the attrition of early entry deadline day, Hawkins would have pretty clearly been a worthwhile pick for someone in the second.

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Shannon was the big prize, though, as he’s a player that got looks from teams late in the first round and had a real chance to go into the top 40 and land a guaranteed contract. Instead, he’ll head back to Illinois and look to be the star of what should be a good team. — Vecenie

Where does this leave Illinois?

The Illini have one of the most talented rosters in the Big Ten entering the season. It’s difficult to find another team in the country with as much experienced depth on the wing as Illinois figures to have next season, with Shannon and rising sophomore Ty Rodgers coming back and joining transfers Marcus Domask and Quincy Guerrier.

Then on top of it, the frontcourt will also be loaded with Hawkins and returning center Dain Dainja. They’ll be able to play bigger lineups with Dainja and Guerrier at the 4 and 5, or could even run out smaller units with Guerrier at the 5 surrounded by Domask and Shannon on the wings.

The only question they’ll need to answer comes in the backcourt. Can Justin Harmon or Sencire Harris handle the lead responsibilities? Harmon is a transfer from Utah Valley where he was more of a scorer next to Trey Woodbury, and Harris was more of a change-of-pace defensive player last year. If either can handle the lead guard spot, this team has Final Four upside. — Vecenie

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(Photo: Justin Casterline / Getty)