CHAMPAIGN — Kasparas Jakucionis arrived at Illinois less than a year ago with one-and-done potential. Will Riley wasn’t necessarily in the exact same position when he signed with the Illini last June but had that same potential.
Now both are leaving as projected first-round picks. Jakucionis and Riley both declared for the 2025 NBA Draft on Monday, per ESPN’s Jonathan Givony.
Jakucionis started all 33 games he played for Illinois during the 2024-25 season, averaging 15 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists. He shot 44 percent overall, 32 percent from three-point range and 84 percent at the free throw line. Turnover trouble was his biggest issue, as the Illini freshman led the Big Ten at 3.7 turnovers per game.
Those turnovers and a rough end to his one — and only — college basketball season didn’t alter the NBA’s apparent perspective on the Vilnius, Lithuania, native too much. Jakucionis is still seen as a potential top 10 pick.
Should Jakucionis, in fact, get selected in the first round of June’s draft, it would mark consecutive years of first-round picks for Illinois after Terrence Shannon Jr. went No. 27 to the Minnesota Timberwolves last summer. Should he land in the lottery, Jakucionis would be the first Illini drafted that high since Meyers Leonard went No. 11 to the Portland Trail Blazers in 2012.
Riley started the final nine games of the 2024-25 season after coming off the bench to start the year. The 6-8 forward averaged 12.6 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists to earn Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year honors.
Riley was at his best in the final month of the season. The standout Canadian put up 15.9 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game in his final 15 games. He was more efficient, too, shooting 48 percent overall and 34 percent from three-point range.