Illinois freshman Kasparas Jakucionis had two four-point plays for Lithuania against Spain Monday
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.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.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."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.
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