BY ALEJANDRO LOPEZ
Illinois has never had two freshmen be picked top 15 in the same draft. It has a chance to do just that this year.
Fighting Illini freshman Kasparas Jakucionis and Will Riley have declared for the NBA Draft, per ESPN.
Jakucionis and Riley are both projected to go in the first round, with Jakucionis being a projected lottery pick.
The 6-foot-6 guard out of Lithuania put up 15.0 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game for Brad Underwood’s team.
“This has been my dream from a young age,” Jakucionis said to ESPN on Monday. “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.”
The All-Big Ten guard has the potential to be Illinois’ first lottery pick since Meyers Leonard in 2012. His teammate isn’t projected to go very far behind him.
Riley averaged 12.6 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game in his one and only season in college. The 6-foot-8 forward is ESPN’s No. 15 ranked prospect heading into the draft which would have him falling just outside of the lottery.
“I learned a lot through the season, Riley told ESPN. “I faced a to of adversity, which helped me. When I was younger, I had no idea what it was like on the American basketball scene. That transition from Canada was good for me. The biggest difference was the physicality. I put on 22 pounds before the start of the season. NBA teams saw my potential as a ball handler and creator, my IQ, and my ability to make reads. These are things you can’t teach. I got adjusted midway through the season and started to blossom.”
Illinois has never had two top-15 picks in the same NBA Draft. They have a chance to do just that this year.
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