In 2024-25, the Illinois Fighting Illini men’s basketball team finished 22-13. They went 21-12 during the regular season and 12-8 in league play.
For the 2025 NCAA tournament, the Illini were a #6 seed and beat #11 Xavier in the first round. In the round of 32, Illinois lost 84-75 to #3 Kentucky. Throughout the 2024-25 season, arguably their best player was freshman guard Kasparas Jakucionis. ESPN’s Jonathan Givony announced Monday that Jakucionis has declared for the 2025 NBA draft.
Kasparas Jakucionis has the tools to be a top-10 pick in this year’s draft
NEWS: Illinois freshman Kasparas Jakucionis, a projected top-10 pick from Lithuania, will enter the 2025 NBA draft, he told ESPN.
STORY: https://t.co/HkaAkxAheT pic.twitter.com/OjXIR4Y4sK
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) April 14, 2025
Freshman Kasparas Jakucionis started all 33 games he played for Illionois in 2024-25. Jakucionois is from Vilnius, Lithuania. He became one of the youngest players to suit up for European powerhouse, Barcelona. At 16, Jakucionis made his ACB debut in Spain’s top professional basketball league. Instead of taking the traditional European-league pathway, Jakucionis decided to take his talents to America. The 18-year-old played his freshman season for Illinois.
Jakucionis averaged (15.0) points, (5.7) rebounds, and (4.7) assists per game. At six-foot-six. Jakucionis is the size of modern NBA PGs like Luka Doncic and Cade Cunningham. In 2024-25, Jakucionis led Illinois in points and assists per game. He was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman team and All-Big Ten Second Team. Kasparas Jakucionis explained how it’s been his lifelong goal to play in the NBA. He’s one step closer to making that happen.
His pace and feel for the game will translate easily to the NBA. Jakucinois has an incredibly high basketball IQ at just 18. He told reporters that he likes to study the game of Lakers’ Luka Doncic. If Jakucionis can find consistency from beyond the arc, he has the skill set to be an all-star at the next level. According to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, Kasparas Jakucionis is a top-10 prospect in the 2025 draft. Where will the 18-year-old be drafted in June?
