Tyler Underwood Assistant Coach | University of Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics Website
Tyler Underwood Assistant Coach | University of Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics Website
The University of Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics has announced the winners of the 2023-24 Dike Eddleman Award, which honors the top male and female athletes at the university. This year, All-American basketball player Terrence Shannon Jr. and track national champion Rose Yeboah received the prestigious award.
Terrence Shannon Jr. becomes the fourth player from head coach Brad Underwood's men's basketball program to win this award in five years. He follows in the footsteps of previous winners Ayo Dosunmu and Kofi Cockburn. Shannon is also the 21st men's basketball player to receive this recognition since its inception in 1940.
Shannon's achievements include being named an All-American by four media outlets after leading Illinois to 29 wins, earning a No. 6 ranking in the final AP poll, and making it to their first Elite Eight appearance since 2005. He was selected for the NCAA All-Region Team and named Big Ten Tournament Most Outstanding Player as Illinois claimed its third conference title in four years. Shannon set several records during his season, including breaking Illinois' all-time single-season scoring record with 736 points and setting a Big Ten Tournament three-game scoring record with an average of 34 points per game.
Rose Yeboah is recognized as the fourth consecutive recipient from the Illini women's track & field program to earn this honor, marking her as coach Petros Kyprianou's second winner in his two-year tenure. She is now one of 22 winners from track since the award began for women in 1977.
Yeboah's notable accomplishments include becoming a National Champion in high jump with a meet and school-record mark at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, automatically qualifying her for the 2024 Olympic Games where she will represent Ghana. She made history as Illinois' first woman to win a field event title at a National meet and was named Big Ten Field Athlete of the Year.
As recipients of this year's Dike Eddleman Award, both Shannon and Yeboah will be nominees for Big Ten Athlete of the Year honors.
The Dike Eddleman Award has been awarded since 1940, recognizing both male and female athletes annually since 1983. It was named after Dwight "Dike" Eddleman in 1993, honoring his contributions as an athlete who excelled in multiple sports during his time at Illinois.
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