Illinois has had an up-and-down year overall, including some unlucky moments, which has led to them being unranked at this point. Despite their inconsistencies, they have a potential top ten pick in Kasparas Jakucionis who is a 6-foot-6 freshman guard out of Lithuania.
The Lithuanian guard is averaging 15.4 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game while shooting 46% from the field, 33.3% from behind the arc and 83.6% from the free-throw line.
Let’s dive into some of the strengths and areas of improvement for Jakucionis.
The Illinois guard is very crafty with his maneuvering. He does a great job of getting to his spots despite not being very explosive or fast off the dribble. His handle is good and he does a good job of creating space. Jakucionis is a clever player who plays with a ton of craft.
His impressive shot-making ability pops. He’s not an elite shooter from behind the arc, but he’s able to convert on difficult pull-up jumpers that not many players in the country are even comfortable doing. Jakucionis is a good scoring guard who has the ability to score at all three levels. If he becomes a more consistent shooter, then it will elevate his game to another level.
Outside of his impressive scoring ability, he is also a very talented playmaker. He has a high IQ for the game and has the ability to make advanced reads in the halfcourt. He can create open shots for teammates and does a great job of taking advantage of ball-screens. His ability to be a high level scorer and playmaker is what makes him a consensus top ten prospect in the 2025 NBA Draft.
The biggest area of improvement for Jakucionis is some of his athletic limitations. He’s not very explosive, which limits his ability to finish above the rim over defenders. He also lacks ideal speed off the dribble, which occasionally hurts his ability to create space. He’s just an average athlete by NBA standards and it will potentially be a concern as he gets older and reaches the next level.
Overall, Jakucionis is a very talented combo guard at 6-foot-6 and has the ability to be a star in the NBA if he reaches his ceiling. It’s clear that he has the offensive game to be a potential all-star in the future, but there are some valid question marks around his game. It will be interesting to see how he tests in the athletic drills at the NBA Draft Combine in May.
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