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Illinois Freshman Kasparas Jakucionis Puts On Scoring Show In International Competition

Zachary Draves

Mar 23, 2024; Omaha, NE, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood leads a team huddle during the second half against the Duquesne Dukes in the second round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament at CHI Health Center Omaha. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 23, 2024; Omaha, NE, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood leads a team huddle during the second half against the Duquesne Dukes in the second round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament at CHI Health Center Omaha. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-USA TODAY Sports / Dylan Widger-USA TODAY Sports
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Illinois incoming freshman Kasparas Jakucionis is in the middle of a busy summer.

He is at the top of his game playing for Lithuania U18 this summer as he awaits his debut season with the Illini this fall.

In preperation for the upcoming FIBA U-18 Eurobasket tournament, Jakucionis competed in the Federacion Riojana de Baloncesto against Spain on Sunday. He scored 22 points as Lithuania went on to win 83-79.

The weeklong FIBA U-18 EuroBasket tournament is set to begin Saturday.


Jakucionis is among the talented newcomers joining the program this fall. Some have already called him a potential first-round pick in next year's NBA draft. He has the tough task of standing out on a team that already has highly-touted freshman Will Riley.

But Illini coach Brad Underwood sees no reason why Jakucionis won't make an immediate impact.

"We are excited to add one of the top European guards in Kasparas Jakucionis," Underwood said earlier this year. "He is extremely talented with great positional size. He is an elite point guard in pick-and-roll and a fabulous passer. He's also a scorer, so he has versatility at multiple guard spots. Kasparas has tremendous experience; he's played against top international talent with Lithuania and Barcelona, and at his young age even made a EuroLeague appearance. He has trained with older, proven players for years which has allowed his game to flourish."

Zachary Draves is a contributor to IlliniNow. He can be reached at zdraves1013@gmail.com and on Instagram @zdraves0633.

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Zachary Draves

ZACHARY DRAVES