Latest news with #KasparasJakučionis
Chicago Tribune
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Kasparas Jakučionis feels ready for the NBA draft — and excited for Illinois' new wave of ‘Balkan Ballers'
On the second day of the NBA draft combine, Illinois guard Kasparas Jakučionis was excited simply to be in an NBA jersey. OK, so technically it wasn't a real NBA jersey. Draft prospects spend the week wearing boilerplate scrimmage pinnies emblazoned with the combine logo. But to Jakučionis, that was symbolic of the step he's about to take toward a lifelong dream. 'Everyone starts (dreaming) when they're little,' he said Wednesday at Wintrust Arena. 'If your dream is not to play in the NBA, you're not a real basketball player.' Jakučionis spent most of his freshman season at Illinois as a projected lottery pick while averaging 15 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists. While some inconsistencies showed the 18-year-old's relative rawness, Jakučionis flashed playmaking potential that could translate well to the NBA. Midway through the week, Jakučionis felt the combine had been a positive experience. He measured well with a 6-foot-7¾ wingspan that outpaces his height (6-4¾) by 3 inches. His shooting was a mixed bag — he went 17 of 25 (68%) to finish in the top 20 of all combine participants in spot-up shooting, then made only 16 of 30 (53.3%) in the off-the-dribble drill. For many prospects, combine week can be a reminder of the work left to do before they can become truly competitive NBA players. Jakučionis was no exception. He said he spent the weeks after Illinois' season ended focused on building strength in the weight room, improving his foot speed on defense and increasing the reliability of his shot. His draft projections have been anything but consistent. Various league experts have Jakučionis getting selected anywhere from fifth to 10th — or even dropping out of the lottery (top 14) entirely. These fluctuations have less to do with his overall talent than with the draft order, which was upended Monday when the Dallas Mavericks won the lottery. For now, Jakučionis is focused on making a strong impression on teams looking to bolster their backcourt. He said he had spoken with six front offices Wednesday but had yet to meet with the Chicago Bulls. In each of those meetings — and in individual workouts throughout the week — Jakučionis is pitching teams on his adaptability as a lengthy guard who can facilitate his teammates. 'My whole life, I've just tried to make everyone better on the court, tried to set pieces on the court, tried to be like a coach on the floor, make everybody better,' Jakučionis said. Jakučionis spent only one year in Champaign, but the Lithuanian guard, along with sophomore center Tomislav Ivišić from Croatia, helped start a new trend for the Illini — something he takes pride in even after leaving the program. The 2025-26 Illinois roster has earned such nicknames as the 'Balkan Brothers' and 'Balkan Ballers' with Ivišić returning and joined by his twin brother, Zvonimir, a transfer from Arkansas; California transfer Andrej Stojaković, the American son of Serbian former NBA star Peja Stojaković; and incoming recruits Mihailo Petrović of Serbia and David Mirković of Montenegro. Jakučionis believes coach Brad Underwood has created a program that appeals to international prospects. 'It's really cool to me that Illinois started recruiting more and more Europeans, because before me, before Tomislav, there wasn't a lot of European guys coming to Illinois,' Jakučionis said. 'That was also a risky decision to do, but I'm really happy that I made the choice there. I think they trusted me, I trusted them. Now you can see the trust in the new players.' Although he only spent one season in the program, Jakučionis credited Underwood and Illinois for preparing him for the draft. He worked out before the combine with Illinois strength and conditioning coach Adam Fletcher, who is helping him add the weight and muscle necessary to compete as a pro. Jakučionis knows there's room to grow. And he understands the unpredictability of the draft process. But in the upcoming weeks, he hopes to sell teams on the one thing he promises to provide any team that calls his name on draft night. 'All-out effort,' Jakučionis said. 'One hundred percent every day, just working my best. I think I can adapt to whatever a team needs me to do. 'I can play on the ball and playmake for others. I can execute 100% on the defensive end. I can play off the ball. Whatever a team needs me to do, I'll be ready for that.'
USA Today
14-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Projected lottery pick Kasparas Jakučionis declares for 2025 NBA draft
Projected lottery pick Kasparas Jakučionis declares for 2025 NBA draft Illinois freshman Kasparas Jakučionis told ESPN on Monday that he will declare for the 2025 NBA draft after one season with the Fighting Illini. Jakučionis, 18, was named to the All-Big Ten third team, averaging 15 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists on 44% shooting from 3-point range in 33 games. He led the team in scoring, tying the freshman record for total points in a season (494). The 6-foot-6 forward ranked 13th in the country in scoring among freshmen. He set the freshman program record with 10 20-point performances, including 24 points, six rebounds and five assists on Dec. 10 in a win over Wisconsin. Before Illinois, Jakučionis, born in Lithuania, joined Barcelona at 16 for the 2022-23 season. He played 19 games with Barcelona's second team the following season, averaging 19.2 points, 6.6 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 1.6 steals on 38% shooting from 3-point range. Jakučionis has also represented Lithuania several times at the junior level, most recently at the 2024 FIBA U18 EuroBasket. He averaged 19.4 points, 5.3 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.7 steals in seven games en route to a sixth-place finish. He is projected to be a lottery pick this year, with his ability to score at all three levels, playmaking, vision and passing. Given his vast high-level experience, Jakučionis could hear his name called as high as the 6-8 range on June 25.
CBS News
12-03-2025
- Sport
- CBS News
Northwestern Wildcats battle way to Big Ten Tourney despite challenges
Ahead of the conference tourney tipping off Wednesday in Indianapolis, the Big Ten announced its postseason awards — and one star of the Northwestern Wildcats was snubbed. The Illini's Kasparas Jakučionis was voted Third Team All-Big Ten, and made the all-freshman team. Fellow newbie Will Riley earned Sixth Man of the Year honors. But somehow, Wildcats workhorse Nick Martinelli was not selected First Team All-League. The junior was named All-Big Ten Second Team, despite leading the conference in overall scoring, while finishing third in Big Ten games this season. Martinelli, a forward, could have an extra chip on his shoulder headed into the Big Ten Tournament. But he took it in stride. "I think being on any team at the end of the day has been a dream of mine," he said. "Seeing my progression over the years, I obviously want to be a First Team player, but whatever the case may be, I have trust that, you know, the coaches in our league have good judgment — and same with the media." Martinelli and the Cats still clawed their way to Indy despite losing two of their three leading scorers — Brooks Barnhzier and Jalen Leach — to injury last month. "I mean, we knew we had to find a new identity and a new way to play with each other — and it was hard at first," said Wildcats guard Ty Berry, "but I think getting, you know, back to being a strong-minded defensive team was kind of our main focus." "Sitting at 4-11 after losing big lead to Nebraska, and you know, having five games left, and I just remember our guys saying, 'We're going to keep battling,'" said Wildcats Head Coach Chris Collins. The 13-seeded Cats will tip off the tournament against 12 seed Minnesota. It is a team they actually beat by 12 just two weeks ago. Still, the mindset headed in is that it will be a clean slate come 2:30 p.m. Wednesday.
Chicago Tribune
08-03-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Kasparas Jakučionis' 3-pointer completes Illinois' second-half rally in an 88-80 win over No. 18 Purdue
CHAMPAIGN — Kasparas Jakučionis hit a 3-pointer with 40 seconds left to put Illinois ahead for good, and the Illini rallied past No. 18 Purdue 88-80 on Friday night. Illinois (20-11, 12-8 Big Ten) trailed 63-53 with 11 minutes, 34 seconds to go but outscored the Boilermakers 13-1 in the final two minutes to win its third in a row after losing three straight. Will Riley led five Illinois players in double figures with 22 points. Tre White had 20 points and nine rebounds, and Jakučionis had 10 points and seven assists. Trey Kaufman-Renn scored 29 points for Purdue (21-10, 13-7) and Braden Smith had 18 points, 12 assists and nine rebounds, falling just short of the second triple-double in team history. Takeaways Illinois: The Illini joined Gonzaga, Houston and San Diego State as the only teams in the country to have at least 20 regular-season wins in each of the last six years. Purdue: Smith is among the favorites for Big Ten Player of the Year. Kaufman-Renn, the team's leading scorer, also deserves consideration because he's the Boilermakers' only inside threat. Key moment Riley made a 3-pointer at the first-half buzzer to cap a personal seven-point run and get Illinois within 42-40. Key stat The teams combined for 32 3-pointers in their previous game, with the Boilermakers making 18. But Purdue went inside against Illinois this time, outscoring the Illini 44-28 in the paint while going 5 of 18 from behind the arc. Illinois was 11 of 30 on 3s. Both teams begin Big Ten Tournament play on Thursday.
Chicago Tribune
09-02-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Will Riley and Kasparas Jakučionis fuel No. 23 Illinois to a 95-74 rout of Minnesota
MINNEAPOLIS — Will Riley had 27 points, nine rebounds and seven assists off the bench and Kasparas Jakučionis scored 24 points to help No. 23 Illinois get back on track with a 95-74 victory over Minnesota on Saturday night. Tomislav Ivišić added 18 points and 11 rebounds for the Illini (16-8, 8-6 Big Ten), who lost four of their previous six games. Femi Odukale had a season-high 22 points and Lu'Cye Patterson added 19 for the Gophers (12-12, 4-9), who got only 12 points on 4-for-14 shooting from the Big Ten's second-leading scorer, Dawson Garcia. Illnesses and injuries factored in the Illini's recent struggles. Despite 7-foot-1 center Ivišić playing through an ankle injury suffered during a loss at Rutgers on Thursday, they were closer to full strength — and it showed. The nation's leading rebounding team had a 50-26 advantage in points in the paint. Illinois has won eight straight in the series by an average margin of 18 points and is 38-8 against Minnesota in this century. Takeaways Illinois: Jakučionis, the freshman standout from Lithuania, matched his career high in scoring to fuel the ninth game of 90-plus points for the Illini this season. They are averaging 85 points per game, the highest mark since the 1988-89 team that reached the NCAA Final Four. Minnesota: Despite hitting their first three 3-pointers for the fast start they wanted, the Gophers had nothing else to lean on when their outside shots cooled off. Key moment After Odukale's 3-pointer cut Minnesota's deficit to seven, Ivisic backed Patterson into the paint and used an 11-inch height advantage for a drop-step layup with 1:45 left before halftime. Key stat Illinois plays host to UCLA on Tuesday. Minnesota plays at USC on Saturday. Originally Published: February 8, 2025 at 7:19 PM CST
