Illinois Basketball's Kasparas Jakucionis Earns Multiple Big Ten Honors

The freshman lead guard received All-Big Ten Third Team honors and was named to the All-Big Ten Freshman Team

Mar 7, 2025; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Kasparas Jakucionis (32) looks to pass during the first half against the Purdue Boilermakers at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images / Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

A multi-talented, 6-foot-6 lead guard, Kasparas Jakucionis arrived in Champaign at age 18 and has put together one of the best freshman campaigns in Illinois history.

Averaging 15.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.8 assists in the regular season, Jakucionis has been the Illini’s go-to scorer and facilitator throughout the season – and has rarely disappointed.

And his first-year efforts haven’t gone unnoticed outside Champaign. On Tuesday, the Big Ten released its conference awards, and Jakucionis' name was one prominently featured.

Jakucionis was named to the All-Big Ten Third Team by both the media and coaches, and also was named to the All-Big Ten Freshman Team.

The Lithuanian native became the first Illini to land on the All-Big Ten Freshman Team since Andre Curbelo in 2021, and just the fifth overall during the Brad Underwood era (Trent Frazier, Ayo Dosunmu, Kofi Cockburn and Curbelo).

He was joined in receiving conference honors by fellow teammates Will Riley (Sixth Man of the Year) and Tomislav Ivisic (Honorable Mention All-Big Ten by the media).

Although Jakucionis and the Illini are undoubtedly happy to accept the hardware, they have higher aspirations: a Big Ten Tournament title and a March Madness run. And with that in mind, Illinois now turns its attention to Thursday and Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, where it is set to take on the winner of the first-round Big Ten Tournament matchup between 15th-seeded Iowa and 10th-seeded Ohio State.

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