The inevitable is now official. As expected, freshman guard Kasparas Jakučionis has declared for the 2025 NBA draft. He is projected to be a lottery pick in June.
“This has been my dream from a young age,” Jakučionis said to ESPN. “I’ve waited for this moment a long time. Saying goodbye to Illinois will be the hardest part. I’ve made friendships and built real relationships with players, coaches, support staff, and everyone around Champaign. My goal now is to work as hard as I can, and be the best version of myself.”
Jakučionis was impressive in his lone season at Illinois; he was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team and the All-Big Ten Second Team. The Lithuanian averaged a team-leading 15 points while adding 5.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists in 33 games for the Illini. Jakučionis tied the Illinois freshman scoring record with 494 total points and set a freshman record for 20-point games with 10.
The combination of his shot making, maturity, playmaking and overall feel for the game makes Jakučionis an intriguing prospect. He had so many highs as a freshman, and the ball was consistently in his hands in high-pressure moments.
Of course, that came with some lows. Jakučionis struggled with turnovers, but he always handled himself with extreme poise and maturity for being so young. All in all, it was a very impressive freshman campaign, and Jakučionis was able to develop his body, on-court game and adjust to American basketball.
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“The competition in college is extremely high level,”Jakučionis said. “Every game and detail matters. You’re competing against the best young players in the world. The facilities at Illinois are incredible in terms of player development, weight room, recovery and staff. These are the best conditions in the world. I grew a lot as a player and person, seeing a different culture and different style of basketball. I’m happy I chose the college route and got to be a part of the Illinois program. I would tell any young player in Europe, as long as you aren’t scared, and if you want to get tougher, you should pick the U.S. route.”
If Jakučionis is a top-14 pick, he will be the first Illini lottery pick since Meyers Leonard in 2012. Before the draft, Jakučionis and dozens of other draft-eligible prospects will take part in the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago from May 11-18. It will be an opportunity for players to speak with teams, talk to the media and participate in a wide variety of on-court speed and agility drills, measurements and shooting drills.
Optional five-on-five scrimmages will also be part of the week, but a majority of players estimated to be high draft picks choose not to participate. The NBA Draft will then take place on June 25 and 26 in New York.
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