3 Illini Land in ESPN's Top 50 NBA Draft Prospects in the NCAA Tournament

NBA scouts won't miss any Illinois games during the Big Dance – not with Tomislav Ivisic, Will Riley and Kasparas Jakucionis on their radars

Feb 8, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini forward Will Riley (7) and guard Kasparas Jakucionis (32) celebrate during the second half against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Williams Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images | Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

With the NCAA Tournament underway, the eyes of the college basketball world are glued to televisions across the country, including fans, experts and NBA scouts.

During March Madness, players are put under a microscope, with each and every performance, play and move subjected to heavy praise or criticism. And for some NBA prospects, draft positioning can be cemented by the their run (or lack of one) in March.

Heading into the tournament, ESPN’s draft experts Jonathon Givony and Jeremy Woo listed the top 50 prospects set to take part in March Madness – and three Illini made the list.

Tomislav Ivisic (No. 49)

Woo spoke on the “plus passing ability” Ivisic provides – which was on full display during his six-assist performance against Iowa last week – and said that “there are NBA teams already drawn to his size and skill level at the center position.”

Tomislav Ivisic gets thing rolling for @IlliniMBB with a quick triple 👏#B1GMBBT on BTN 📺 pic.twitter.com/nilgtobChT

— Big Ten Men's Basketball (@B1GMBBall) March 13, 2025

Nonetheless, Woo believes another season in Champaign would best serve Ivisic’s next-level ambitions:

“Another year in college would prove beneficial to sharpen his game and better showcase his offense.”

Will Riley (No. 15) 

Although Givony is aware of Riley’s season-long inconsistencies, the Illini forward is “clearly oozing with talent.” And Riley's ability to create for himself and his teammates already at the barely ripe age of 19 makes him quite the intriguing prospect.

Up and under for Will!

2H 16:36 | Illini 39, Rutgers 45
📺: @BigTenNetwork pic.twitter.com/vMgxwfSCNd

— Illinois Men's Basketball (@IlliniMBB) February 6, 2025

Riley’s thin frame makes him a long-term prospect, according to Givony, but a number of NBA franchises might find his high upside worth the wait.

Kasparas Jakucionis (No. 6)

A well-established lottery pick, Jakucionis has bounced between the Nos. 5 and 6 spots in most mock drafts throughout the season. Although his “impressive combination of size, toughness, pace, feel for the game, playmaking and shotmaking prowess” jump off the page for the ESPN experts, Jakucionis' recent struggles have been noticed by those at the next level.

ICE 🗡️ COLD 🗡️ KJ pic.twitter.com/zD1L3j7ZKE

— Illinois Men's Basketball (@IlliniMBB) March 8, 2025

To ensure Jakucionis doesn’t drop in the draft, Givony said, “finishing the season on a strong note would assuage any recent concerns” and remind scouts why he has a legitimate case to hear his name called in the top five of this year’s NBA Draft.

More From Illinois on Sports Illustrated:

How to Watch Illinois vs. Xavier in NCAA Tournament First Round

Plotting Illinois Basketball's Path to a National Championship

Big Ten NCAA Tournament First-Round Predictions: Can Illinois Keep Dancing?