CHAMPAIGN, IL (Chambana Today) – The 2025 All-Big Ten teams and individual award winners were announced by the conference office, alongside Big Ten accolades from the Associated Press. Illinois basketball had several standouts recognized for their impressive performances this season.
Freshman point guard Kasparas Jakucionis (Vilnius, Lithuania) earned a second-team All-Big Ten selection by the AP, a third-team All-Big Ten pick by both coaches and media, and a spot on the Big Ten All-Freshman Team. Jakucionis has been a driving force for the Illini, leading the team in scoring (15.2) and assists (4.8), and ranking third in rebounding (5.6). His eight 20-point games this season set a new Illinois freshman record. Jakucionis is on pace to finish with the third-highest scoring and fourth-highest assist averages for an Illini freshman.
Will Riley (Kitchener, Ontario, Canada), another talented freshman, earned the Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year award after a stellar season off the bench. Riley averaged 12.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game. His strong performances in Big Ten play, including 10 double-digit scoring games in the final 11 regular-season games, made him a standout. Riley is the second Illini to earn the Sixth Man of the Year honor, joining Andre Curbelo, who won the award in 2021.
Sophomore Tomislav Ivisic (Vodice, Croatia) also earned recognition, being named honorable mention All-Big Ten by the media. Ivisic has been a key contributor for the Illini, ranking second in scoring (12.6) and first in rebounding (7.6). He leads the team with nine double-doubles and 31 blocked shots, while shooting 50% from the field.
Graduate student Ben Humrichous (Tipton, Indiana) was also recognized as Illinois’ Big Ten Sportsmanship Award honoree.
These remarkable performances have helped Illinois achieve a No. 24 national ranking and a 20-11 overall record. This marks their sixth-straight 20-win season, making Illinois one of only four teams nationally to record 20-win regular seasons in each of the last six years, joining Gonzaga, Houston, and San Diego State. Illinois is also the winningest team in Big Ten play over the past six seasons, tied with Purdue.
As defending Big Ten Tournament Champions, Illinois enters this year’s tournament as the No. 7 seed and will face the winner of the Ohio State vs. Iowa game in Thursday’s second round at 5:30 p.m.