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Illini Incoming Freshman Kasparas Jakucionis Made A Rare Play Twice In One Game

Shandel Richardson|
Mar 27, 2024; Boston, MA, USA; Illinois head coach Brad Underwood looks on during practice in preparation for their East semifinal game against Iowa State at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 27, 2024; Boston, MA, USA; Illinois head coach Brad Underwood looks on during practice in preparation for their East semifinal game against Iowa State at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports | Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

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Illinois Fighting Illini

Illinois incoming freshman Kasparas Jakucionis is making the FIBA U18 tournament must-see TV for Fighting Illini fans.

Jakucionis led Lithuania to a victory against Spain in the tournament Monday. He finished with 15 points, five assists and five rebounds, but two plays stood out.

Jakucionis converted two four-point plays, one of the rarest feats in basketball.

For the tournament, he averaged 19 points and 5.3 assists. The 6-foot-7 Jakucionis should fit right in with the talented Illini roster this season. He is already appearing in first-round mock NBA drafts for 2025.

ILLINI EXPECT A QUICK LEARNING CURVE FOR FRANKLIN

Zakhari Franklin missed spring ball because he transferred to the Illinois Fighting Illini in June.

Still, it shouldn't cause too much of a problem. Franklin is already somewhat familiar with the Illini offense. He should because he played for offensive coordinator Barry Lunney when they were together at the University of Texas-San Antonio.

It's why the Illini are expecting an easy transition for Franklin after transferring from Ole Miss.


"I don't think it's going to be as big of a challenge," Lunney said. "I would say probably 50-75 percent he's going to have some familiarity with even though we've changed a lot of things up. He can translate." 

Lunney feels training camp is more than enough time for Franklin to adjust. If so, the Illini will have one of the top receiving threats in college football. Although Franklin only played sparingly his one season with the Rebels, he was a major target at USTA.

Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Illinois Fighting Illini On SI. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com

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Shandel Richardson
SHANDEL RICHARDSON

Shandel has covered the NBA since 2010, with previous stops at The Athletic and South Florida Sun-Sentinel. He has covered six NBA Finals, one Super Bowl, the NCAA basketball tournament. He has also been a beat writer for the Miami Hurricanes and contributed on every major beat in South Florida since 2003, including the Miami Dolphins and Miami Marlins. He can also be read in the Sportsbook Review for gambling coverage from around the NBA. A native of Bloomington, Illinois, Shandel attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. He's also worked for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Kansas City Star. TWITTER: @ShandelRich EMAIL: shandelrich@gmail.com You can subscribe to our YouTube channel here Follow all of our Miami Heat coverage on Facebook here