Illinois’ Jakucionis Continues to Bolster NBA Draft Stock

All signs are pointing towards Kasparas Jakucinois being a top-five draft pick.

Dec 10, 2024; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Kasparas Jakucionis (32) looks to pass as Wisconsin Badgers guard Jack Janicki (33) pressures him during the second half at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images / Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

The 2025 NBA Draft has class has been impressive so far, offering a myriad of talented players that are churning through stellar collegiate seasons.

One of those has been five-star Illinois guard Kasparas Jakucionis, who has looked the part of a future NBA star through a handful off games. On Sunday, that trend continued.

In a 117-64 beatdown of Chicago St., Jakucionis continued his white-hot start, pouring on an efficient 14 points, four rebounds and four assists. He shot 6-for-8 overall, hitting one of three triples and nailing his only free throw.

Jakucionis has benefitted greatly from free throws this season, showing a coveted ability to draw fouls on drives and while jump-shooting. But his ability to thrive in Sunday’s contest while only getting to the line once was likely a welcome sight for NBA decision-makers.

On the year, he’s now averaging 16.5 points, 5.7 rebounds and 5.5 assists, stuffing the stat sheet on a game-to-game basis. At 6-foot-6, he possesses an immense amount of skill in a frame that's sure to catch the eyes of scouts. Due to that, at this point, he's likely trending towards being a top-five pick on draft night '25.

The No. 24-ranked Illini will take on one of the their tougher tests of the season in No. 9 Oregon on Thursday, Jan. 2. The game will kick off the team’s conference slate, which should offer an even better look at Jakucionis’ talents.

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