NBA Draft

Illinois' Kasparas Jakucionis Struggles in Loss to Kentucky

The Illinois combo guard has slipped on many boards recently due to a confluence of factors.

Keenan Womack

Illinois guard Kasparas Jakucionis (32) scores on Kentucky forward Brandon Garrison (10) during the second half of their second round NCAA men’ s basketball tournament game Sunday, March 23, 2025 at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Kentucky beat Illinois 84-75.
Illinois guard Kasparas Jakucionis (32) scores on Kentucky forward Brandon Garrison (10) during the second half of their second round NCAA men’ s basketball tournament game Sunday, March 23, 2025 at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Kentucky beat Illinois 84-75. / Mark Hoffman / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
In this story:

There was a time earlier this season when Illinois guard Kasparas Jakucionis was a top-five lock in the 2025 NBA Draft, with many people putting him as the second-best lead initiator in the class behind Dylan Harper.

It made sense at the time – though his first 15 games of the season, Jakucionis was averaging 16.7 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.4 assists while shooting 50% from the field and 41.6% from beyond the arc.

However, things can change rapidly in basketball as opposing coaches get more film on a player, and over games 16-32, Jakucionis shot just 39% overall, while his three-point percentage tumbled to 24%. He also averaged 3.7 turnovers per game over the second half of the season compared to just 4.3 assists.

Opponents began to center game plans on stopping the Lithuanian prospect by majorly upping ball pressure, a strategy that would be employed by Mark Pope in the Wildcats' 84-75 win over the Illini.

Kentucky exposed Jakucionis' flaws in their second-round game against Illinois on March 23, as the NBA prospect had an atrocious six turnovers to go with a 5-for-13 shooting night, including 2-of-9 from three. He only managed to get to the line twice in 37 minutes, hitting one of two attempts. His turnovers manifested in several ways, including being stripped while dribbling around on the perimeter and being intercepted while trying to throw skip passes.

Kentucky also played some denial by face guarding him, and hedged ball screens often when he would attempt to orchestrate the offense. By hedging, they forced Jakucionis to either pass off the ball or take a contested shot off of a drive, neither of which were particularly effective. With this game plan, the Wildcats were able to successfully keep Jakucionis from being a factor in the game.

Outside of his offense, there are other questions about Jakcuionis as well. Defensively, players like Koby Brea blew by him regularly on the perimeter which led to easy looks at the rim. He was also beat by off-ball screens, allowing for movement shots by Kentucky's wings and guards where he was trailing a few steps behind.

While there are plenty of legitimate issues with his game, Kasparas Jakucionis is still a player that should go in or near the lottery. Oftentimes, players are more talked about for their flaws than they are for their skillsets, but Jakucionis is a very talented played that has shown long stretches of impressive play. Hopefully for his sake, scouts focus more on these positives.

Published
Keenan Womack
KEENAN WOMACK

Keenan Womack is a sportswriter native to Dallas, Texas, who has spent the last 12 years in Austin, the home of his alma mater, the University of Texas. Keenan has covered sports for SB Nation, Bleacher Report, Rivals/Orangebloods, a host of his own sites and now, Fan Nation. Focusing on basketball, Keenan was on the beat for the Longhorns hoops team for the last two-and-a-half years before moving on to pursue other opportunities. He is married and lives with his wife close to the Moody Center, so they can continue to catch games together.

Home/Newsfeed