Kasparas Jakucionis became Illinois' first one-and-done first-round pick on Wednesday night at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.. The 6-foot-6 guard was selected with the No. 20 overall pick by the Miami Heat, unexpectedly sliding out of the lottery.
Jakucionis peaked as a potential top five pick during a dominant run in November and December with Illinois, but his draft stock took a hit after some late-season struggles.
The full picture of Jakucionis' 10 months in Champaign, however, was a success. The Lithuanian standout earned All-Big Ten Freshman Team and All-Big Ten Third Team honors after 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.
A mid-season forearm injury derailed some of Jakucionis' efficiency. He shot 43 percent from three-point range before suffering the injury Jan. 5 at Washington and just 25 percent in his final 19 games. The only other knock on Jakucionis as his draft stock was evaluated were the 3.7 turnovers per game he averaged.
Jakucionis' pedigree involves more than just his lone season at Illinois. He spent three seasons in the FC Barcelona organization after leaving Lithuania at 15 years old. While he played primarily for Barca's second team in 2023-24, he did get some action with the club's top squad.
Jakucionis also has international experience, representing Lithuania the past three years in multiple FIBA events. The Vilnius, Lithuania, native helped make a name for himself at the FIBA U16 European Championship in 2022, the FIBA U18 European Championship in 2023 and the FIBA U18 EuroBasket last summer in Finland.