After Illinois’s elimination in the NCAA Tournament last month at the hands of Kentucky, Kasparas Jakucionis spoke to members of the media for the last time as an Illinois player. He’s since declared for the NBA Draft, where he’s projected by most outlets to be a top-ten pick and by some to be a top-five pick.

Illinois freshman Kasparas Jakucionis, a projected top-10 pick, told ESPN that he will enter the 2025 NBA draft.

Illinois point guard Kasparas Jakucionis, projected as a top-10 NBA pick, declared for the 2025 draft on Monday. The 6-foot-6 Lithuanian averaged 15.0 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists as a freshman for the Fighting Illini,