Former Illini Terrence Shannon Jr. tries to improve draft stock at NBA Combine
CHICAGO (CBS) – The NBA Draft Combine continued at Wintrust Arena with scrimmages on Day Three.
CBS 2's Matt Zahn had more on a local product doing everything in his power to rise up teams' draft boards.
As Terrence Shannon Jr. put it, he's surprising a lot of people at the scouting combine. The Chicago native and former Illini star showed out during the workouts, especially in the three-quarter court sprint, posting the fastest time among all the prospects.
"It was good," Shannon said. "I'm always competing against somebody, either it's myself or whoever I'm going against. I'm just looking at the leaderboards, trying to top everyone. That was my goal, just to win every drill."
Shannon is projected as a late first or early second-round pick. First-round selections get guaranteed contracts and Shannon said that will go into his decision whether he stays in the draft or not.
"Just knowing I have a fully-guaranteed contract, if I can put myself in a better position going back to school, I'll do that," he said. "Right now, I'm focused and locked in on the NBA draft."
Shannon said he's worked out for the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers and has not talked with his hometown Bulls who don't have a draft pick.
Shannon and Illini teammate Coleman Hawkins, who is also at the combine, have until May 31 to withdraw from the draft.
Hawkins also spent the week going through drills and scrimmages. The big man led the Illini in rebounding and was third in scoring during his junior season.
Hawkins said he's happy to get the invite and hoping the combine helps him not only make a decision on his future, but also serve as a learning experience.
"I've been getting some really good feedback," he said. "I'm just looking for a solid spot, maybe not too deep in the draft, you know, contracts come around. It's a lot of discussions. So I've been getting a lot of good feedback. Teams like my playmaking, my size, my length, the little things that I do."