Illinois makes jump in AP poll after Shannon’s return

It didn’t take long for Terrence Shannon Jr. to make an impact again on the Illini, and it didn’t take long for Illinois to find its way back up the AP top 25.

The Illini checked in at No. 10 in Monday’s poll, after spending last week at No. 14.

Shannon Jr. made his return from suspension on Sunday in Illinois’ big win over Rutgers. A federal judge last week issued an injunction for Shannon, ending his suspension after being criminally charged with rape last month in Douglas County, Kansas.

While Shannon didn’t have a huge offensive game on Sunday, he sparked several big runs off the bench, and Illinois looked like the dominant team it was before his indefinite suspension began after the Braggin’ Rights contest in December.

As is life in the Big Ten, things won’t be getting any easier for the Illini (14-4, 5-2 Big Ten). Illinois hits the road on Wednesday, traveling up I-57 to take on Northwestern, who Brad Underwood’s team crushed earlier this month. Then…