Top 5 most impactful Illinois basketball newcomers for the 2024-25 season

No. 3 Kasparas Jakucionis

It was a pretty impressive offseason for the Illinois basketball team, as we pulled in some quality talent. One of the many intriguing players for the program is Kasparas Jakucionis.

Jakucionis is going to be a freshman for the Illini, but he has been playing overseas in Spain. This past season, he averaged 19.2 points, 6.6 rebounds, 57 assists and 1.6 steals per game. This playmaking ability caught the eye of Illinois, and we were able to land this talented Swiss Army Knife.

A lot of people have mentioned that Jakucionis is going to start for Illinois this season, but I am not so sure of that. While he is a projected first-round NBA Draft pick in 2025, there is a lot of talent on the Illinois basketball team. One thing is for sure, Jakucionis will get a lot of minutes.

Biggest Role: Flex Tape

Wait, what is the “Flex Tape” role? Well, have you seen the Flex Tape commercials? The tape can patch literally anything. The tape even works underwater. It’s amazing.

That is what Jakucionis can be for the Illinois basketball program. He is the player who can patch up any hole and make the ship go full steam ahead.

If Illinois needs Jakucionis to play point guard, he has solid distributing ability, as he averaged 5.7 assists. Jakucionis can light it up from three-point range and play the No. 2 spot. He hit 37.7% on 114 attempts last season from beyond the three-point arc.

There are many things Jakucionis can do for the Illini. He is a great player who is going to do wonders for this program.