Illinois sophomore RJ Melendez was allowed to arrive a few days late to the Fighting Illini’s summer workout regimen because of a family wedding he attended in his native Puerto Rico.

When Melendez returned to Champaign and joined his teammates on the hardwood, he found there was a new sheriff in town. Texas Tech transfer Terrence Shannon Jr. tore him up during that first workout, setting the bar high.

Head coach Brad Underwood wasn’t shocked. Shannon had been getting to the gym early every day and his drive and competitiveness reminded Underwood of former star Ayo Dosunmu.

“Terrence is very much similar to Ayo in his work ethic, attention to work,” Underwood said. “He’s a guy that doesn’t back down”.

Melendez accepted the challenge. The next day in practice he was more prepared and he responded with a different fire that Illinois’ coaches hadn’t seen before.

Underwood had been up front with the returning players who would like to step into a starters’ role. He’s going to continue to add talent and nothing is going to be handed to anyone.

“We’re here to win,’’ Underwood said. “If you’re a good player, you want to play with good players. If you’re a dud, you run from that We have a chance to be ultra-competitive in practice.”

Shannon comes to Illinois after three seasons at Texas Tech where he averaged 11.0 points per game and 3.6 rebounds. A Chicago native, he joined a Red Raiders program that was coming off of a run all the way to the national championship game under Chris Beard.

He knows what it takes to win, and Shannon has impressed the coaching staff with his commitment to getting additional work in on his own. He aims to be in the gym every day at around 6:00 a.m.

“TJ is an elite worker,” Underwood said. “He’s proven he’s a winner and done it at the highest level. There are multiple facets to his leadership. Obviously, being older and having a tremendous amount of success can be great for our younger guys.”

Shannon’s production at Texas Tech tapered off some last year when he averaged 10.4 points and 2.6 rebounds per game. A nagging back injury set him back and took away some of the .

A tenacious player off the bounce, Shannon was known for attacking the rim and crashing the glass. He’s aiming to regain the flexibility working with strength and conditioning coach Adam Fletcher.

Underwood loves his dedication, but he also has to dial him back at times to make sure he’s not overtasking himself and risking another injury.

“I’ve got to do the same thing that I’ve done with Ayo a little bit,” Underwood said. “Let’s be efficient, let’s not overwork because he’ll spend all day in the gym in you let him.”

Fletcher is working with Shannon with a regiment designed to increase his flexibility, including a yoga routine. At Texas Tech, he bulked up and got stronger, but he may have sacrificed some of his flexibility in the process.

The hope is that with increased flexibility Shannon will be able to return to being the athletic wing that was a third-team All-Big 12 selection as a sophomore and averaged 12.9 points with 4.0 rebounds.

When fully healthy, Shannon embodies the new look that Underwood wants after the departure of traditional big man Kofi Cockburn. Shannon can play multiple positions, attack off the dribble, and finish at the rim.

“He’s a very versatile player,” Underwood said. “He fits everything that we do. I’m excited about his athleticism. He fits in great with our post-Kofi stuff that we want to do.”

The focus of early morning work is on improving his ability to shoot off the dribble and to improve his ballhandling.

A year ago, Shannon struggled in ball screens. Illinois is helping him develop an understanding of how to read defenses so he is able to better attack the weak spots with his athleticism.

One thing the staff doesn’t have to do much of is push Shannon to be competitive. It comes naturally to him, and it’s contagious.

Melendez could have sulked rather than take on the challenge after Shannon lit him up in practice. Instead, he kicked it up a notch the next day, and others such as another sophomore wing Luke Goode have benefitted as well.

Most of all, Shannon has been a winner, and he brings that aura with him to Illinois.

“He’s had a lot of success in his career,” Underwood said. “Every moment is a learning moment and we forget that those guys, Luke and RJ, are still young in terms of game minutes.”

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