DePaul lands late-blooming Lincoln Park star Terrence Shannon

The past six months have been a whirlwind for former Lincoln Park star Terrence Shannon.

The rapidly moving six months, which included going from a senior with no offers to a high-major prospect and top 100 player nationally, came to a halt Sunday. The uber-athletic Shannon committed to DePaul, in the end choosing the Blue Demons over Florida State, Illinois and Maryland.

“It’s home,” Shannon says of staying in the Lincoln Park neighborhood and choosing DePaul. “It’s where I felt the most comfortable and where I think I will feel the most comfortable in the future. They did their job, and I feel like I can trust them. There were no lies with them.”

The high-flying 6-7 wing was a late-blooming prospect in the class of 2018. He played out his senior season at Lincoln Park, helping coach Pat Gordon’s team to a regional championship in March. But despite putting together an impressive season, there was little recruiting interest in Shannon.

Shannon decided he would go the prep school route, re-classify to the class of 2019 and play out the spring and summer with the Mac Irvin Fire on the club circuit. The size, length, above-the-rim style and upside immediately opened eyes as he’s now ranked among the top 100 players in the country in the class of 2019.

Terrence Shannon drives past North Lawndale’s Demetrius Douglas. | Worsom Robinson/For Sun-Times

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Terrence Shannon catches a pass for two points. | Worsom Robinson/For Sun-Times

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Lincoln Park’s Terrence Shannon during the 2018 season. | Worsom Robinson/For Sun-Times

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Terrence Shannon goes up and blocks Young’s Javon Freman. | Worsom Robinson/For Sun-Times

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Terrence Shannon recently decommitted from DePaul. Worsom Robinson/For the Sun-Times.

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Terrence Shannon fouls out late in the fourth quarter against Young. |Worsom Robinson/For the Sun-Times.

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Terrence Shannon also played on the Lincoln Park football team. |Worsom Robinson/For the Sun-Times.

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Lincoln Park’s Terrence Shannon celebrates his touchdown. | Allen Cunningham / For the Sun Times.

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“He keeps improving and he has an unlimited ceiling,” says Lincoln Park coach Pat Gordon. “He keeps growing, he keeps improving. He changed his approach to everything, from the way he practiced, to his work outs to the amount of work he put in, and he changed his mental approach to it all.”

DePaul’s class of 2019 now includes a pair of top 100 talents –– Shannon and 6-7 forward Romeo Weems out of New Haven, Mich., who averaged 23.5 points, 10.8 rebounds, 5.3 assists and two blocks a game as a junior. Weems, who committed in May, is ranked No. 38 by Rivals and No. 40 by 247Sports.

Shannon believes his impact at DePaul can be different and singled that out when comparing the future with the Blue Demons to the other schools recruiting him.

“I felt like with the other schools they would be good with me or without me,” says Shannon. “I felt more needed at DePaul, and I want to help build the program back up.”

When he arrives at DePaul with Weems, he will join a roster that will also include Jalen Coleman-Lands, who will be a junior this coming season after sitting a year following his transfer from Illinois.

While Shannon is regarded as a top 100 recruit, there is work to be done on his overall game, which is why a year of prep school could do wonders for him as a player.

“I need to and can get better with everything, including getting my shot up higher,” says Shannon, who will spend the next year at IMG Academy in Florida. “I will continue to work, get better and be ready for DePaul in a year.”

Follow Joe Henricksen and the City/Suburban Hoops Report on Twitter @joehoopsreport

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