CHAMPAIGN, IL (Chambana Today) – The Illinois men’s basketball program is set to send two standout freshmen to the professional ranks, as Kasparas Jakucionis and Will Riley officially declared for the 2025 NBA Draft on Monday. Both players arrived at Illinois with NBA potential, and after strong freshman seasons, they’re projected as first-round picks.
Jakucionis, a 6-foot-5 guard from Vilnius, Lithuania, started all 33 games for the Illini in the 2024–25 season. He averaged 15 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 4.7 assists while shooting 44 percent from the field and 84 percent from the free-throw line. Despite leading the Big Ten with 3.7 turnovers per game, Jakucionis remains a projected top-10 pick in the June draft and could become Illinois’ highest draft selection since Meyers Leonard went No. 11 overall in 2012.
Riley, a 6-foot-8 forward from Canada, earned Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year honors before finishing the season as a starter. He averaged 12.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 2.2 assists on the season, with a breakout stretch in the final 15 games where he posted nearly 16 points per contest while improving his shooting efficiency.
If both are selected in the first round, it will mark the second straight year Illinois has produced a first rounder, following Terrence Shannon Jr.’s No. 27 selection in 2024.