Kasparas Jakucionis: A Comprehensive Scouting Report on Illinois’ New Star
Analyzing Jakucionis’ Seven Games at U18 EuroBasket
Kasparas Jakucionis, the 36th-ranked recruit in the class of 2024, is a 6’5”, 200lb lead guard who will be a freshman at Illinois this upcoming season. KJ, as Illinois head coach Brad Underwood calls him, recently represented his home country of Lithuania in the FIBA U18 Eurobasket Tournament. I watched all seven of those games and will share my analysis in this article.
Table of Contents
Tourney Info
The U18 Eurobasket is a prestigious tournament that brings together the top 16 nations in this age group to compete for the European Championship. Kasparas and Lithuania finished 11th at the 2023 U18 Eurobasket. Notably, KJ and Team Lithuania previously won the 2022 U16 Eurobasket, where Jakucionis had an impressive performance with 15 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists, and 5 steals in the championship victory over Spain. These tournaments provide an excellent opportunity to see Europe’s best young talent face off against each other.
The Lithuanian Team
Understanding the context of the team Jakucionis was working with is essential. The second-best player on the team was Nojus Indrusaitis, a former Illinois recruit and current Iowa State Cyclones incoming freshman. His role was that of a scorer, providing shooting and the ability to drive and finish at the basket. Mantas Juzenas, a wing, didn’t offer much from the outside but could drive to the hoop and score. Gantas Krizanauskas was one of my favorite players—a low-usage, high-impact glue guy who excelled as a point-of-attack defender and was a smart shooter and cutter on offense. He always seemed to make the right play with a high basketball IQ and quick decision-making. The center, Nedas Raupelis, reminded me of Nnanna Egwu; he contributed defensively but struggled with poor hands and touch on offense, making him better suited for a low-usage role. Overall, the team finished 6th out of 16 teams, but they lacked a dominant big man on offense that kept them from winning it all.
Tourney Stats
KJ finished with the 8th most points per game and the 8th most assists per game among all players in the tournament. Below is a game-by-game breakdown along with his tournament averages for those interested.
Limitation Of This Scout
The construction of the Lithuanian team didn’t seem to maximize Jakucionis’ talents. The absence of a strong big man to pair with in the two-man game was particularly noticeable. There were stretches during the tournament where I questioned why some scouts have given KJ a first-round grade. However, after revisiting games from other leagues where he had a solid roll man, it became clear how much his passing ability can be unlocked—something we didn’t fully see in this tournament. Additionally, I primarily watch NBA and college basketball, so I lack extensive experience scouting younger players. I don’t have much of a reference point for evaluating 16- to 18-year-olds. But now, I understand his game, how he’ll be utilized at Illinois, and what he can bring to the team, which I will expand on here.
Ball Control & Patience
The first thing that stands out about Kasparas Jakucionis is his exceptional ball control and patience. He’s not an overly athletic player who will wow you with explosive leaps; instead, he operates mostly below the rim. To excel on the court, he has honed his ball-handling skills to a level where he rarely appears overwhelmed or amxious when on the court.
To put this into perspective, there was a stretch during the tournament where I felt he wasn’t playing slow enough. Playing slow? What does that mean? For Illinois fans, let’s compare Marcus Domask to Terrence Shannon Jr. TSJ was a freak athlete—he could lower his shoulder, drive to the rim, and be effective with an all-gas-no-brakes approach. But that style of play wouldn’t work as well for Domask. He had to vary his speeds, using starts, stops, deceleration, and fakes. Similarly, if Kasparas Jakucionis were to just lower his head and drive to the basket, it wouldn’t be efficient. He’s most effective when playing at a slower pace, relying on his ball-handling, patience, and craft.
Another benefit of Jakucionis’ ability to effectively play at a slower pace is the additional time it affords him to process and make decisions. Take Terrance Shannon Jr., for example—he was incredibly fast, getting downhill like a bulldozer. But that speed also gave him minimal time to process, make reads, and deliver accurate passes. Playing at a slower pace allows a player to make more reads, set up teammates, and make better decisions because of the extra time they have to read what is happening on the court.
We also have to talk about KJ’s crossover. It’s incredibly effective, allowing him to gain advantages against defenders. His ability to change direction is noticebale. If you’ve ever played chess, you know that certain pieces can only move in specific ways. Basketball is similar—some players can’t dribble well, and some can only go in one direction, or only go downhill. But when watching KJ, it feels like he can move in any direction at any time front to back and side to side.. Despite not having elite athleticism, his ability to get anywhere on the court with his handle and patience is what sets him apart. He’ll get to the basket, step back to his left, and split double teams. While others are playing checkers, Kasparas Jakucionis is playing chess.
Here’s an example: KJ rejects the screen by hitting the defender with a crossover. The helping big man blocks his path to the basket, so KJ slightly pulls the ball back and head-fakes as if he’s going to retreat to the perimeter. The defender falls for it, stepping out just as Jakucionis makes his move to the basket, drawing a foul on the drive before the shot.
You can see how much craft he has with the ball. It all ties back to the chess analogy—he is like the Queen on the chess board and able to move in any direction, making him a very dangerous offensive weapon. This quality is going to make him a joy to watch in college.
Shooting
Kasparas Jakucionis is a skilled shooter, though it might not always be evident if you focus solely on his three-point percentage. The degree of difficulty on his shots is often higher than most players. A better indicator of his shooting ability is his free throw percentage, which consistently ranges from 85% to 95% across various seasons and leagues. Free throw percentage is a reliable measure of a player's potential as a three-point shooter, and KJ checks that box.
For Lithuania, Jakucionis was the primary offensive engine, with the ball in his hands much of the time, forcing him to create plays rather than capitalize on catch-and-shoot opportunities. Many of his threes come from pull-ups off the dribble, which are inherently more challenging. As he transitions to college basketball, the focus will be less on his shooting mechanics and more on his shot selection—knowing when and where to take his perimeter shots.
If he’s open in transition, you can expect him to pull up from three.
One of Jakucionis' go-to moves is the step-back three to his left. This move is particularly effective when he gets a big man switched onto him. KJ likes to drive the big toward the basket, then create space with a step-back to his left. What makes this move difficult to defend is its unpredictability. He mixes up his drives, going both left and right, so defenders can’t easily anticipate his next move. It’s not as simple as assuming a right drive is a drive and a left drive means a step-back. He drives left often, which adds another layer to the puzzle.
This craftiness with his dribble moves, combined with his shooting and driving abilities, makes him a versatile offensive threat. KJ has a deep bag of moves at his disposal, making it tough for defenders to know what to take away. Whatever the defense throws at him, he’s likely to have a counter move ready. Here’s a video showcasing his step-back threes. You can expect him to take one or two of these each game.
The good news is that Kasparas Jakucionis is a versatile shooter, capable of scoring both on the ball and off the ball. At Illinois, he’ll provide value even when he doesn’t have the ball in his hands by effectively spacing the floor. To further showcase his outside shooting, here are some examples of his pull-up and catch-and-shoot threes.
Kasparas Jakucionis is a three level scorer. This means he can score from three, from the mid range, and around the basket. What really stood out to me was how quickly he could stop and pop from the mid range. The offensive versatility is why he should become an elite college player.
Finishing
Everything we discussed earlier—the dribble moves to get where he wants on the court, the shooting ability that draws defenders out, and the patience to wait for a mistake—will help Kasparas Jakucionis get to the rim. However, this is also an area where he might struggle in college. As a below-the-rim player, he has the size to finish well against guards, but he’s not the type to rise up and finish over rim protectors. In the Eurobasket tournament, there were moments when he would lower his shoulder and drive, which often got him into trouble. It’s not efficient for KJ to attack a rim protector without changing speeds, especially when none of his teammates are cutting to the basket. Plays like these led to inefficient offense.
Jakucionis needs to be a “dancer” around the rim, utilizing his patience, ball control, and passing ability. He’s much more effective when playing off two feet and staying under control rather than trying to finish off one foot. When he’s at his best, he gets into the paint and, with patience, has numerous options at his disposal: a shot fake to get the defender in the air followed by a shot or drawing a foul, a pass to a cutter, a dump-off pass to the big, or kicking it out to an open shooter if he draws a double team.
The move I’d like to see him master is the 8-foot floater, but I’ll discuss that more when I talk about how Kasparas could fit in with the Illini next season. Here are some of his drives during the Eurobasket Tournament.
Transition
We’ve seen how Kasparas Jakucionis can pull up for threes in transition, but another key attribute he brings is his hit-ahead passing. He’s the type of player who, when he grabs a defensive rebound, keeps his head up and instantly scans the court for an outlet to pass to a teammate streaking down the floor. This skill is highly beneficial to the team’s offense, as Jakucionis can quickly advance the ball up the court, allowing the offense to attack before the defense has a chance to set up. This is why teams emphasize running in transition—transition offense is more efficient than half-court offense, and Jakucionis is a player who can initiate that transition with the type of passes you’ll see below.
Vision/Passing
This is an area where Kasparas Jakucionis truly shines, even if it wasn’t always on full display during the Eurobasket tournament. He possesses high processing power and a strong feel for the game. Jakucionis knows how to read and manipulate the defense, and he’s not afraid to fire a pass to the open teammate. This is what makes him such an exciting basketball prospect. We’ve already discussed his three-level scoring and ball control—he’s lethal from anywhere on the court and has a variety of offensive tools. What elevates him to the next level, and what makes him an offensive engine, is his vision and passing ability. When opponents send help or double-team KJ, he has the capability to make the right read and deliver the right pass. His creation and scoring ability can lead to really efficient team offense.
This was especially evident when I reviewed some of his film with FC Barcelona. Jakucionis impressed me with his ability to get the ball to the roller and work effectively with the big in the two-man game, consistently setting up his teammates in advantageous positions.
It’s also worth noting that the Lithuanian team used Kasparas Jakucionis as the in-bounder for all their sideline and baseline out of bounds plays. As you will see in the Eurobasket tape, he does a good job at finding the open teammate.
Turnovers
Now, let’s talk about the flaws in Kasparas Jakucionis' game, particularly his turnovers. I’ve been emphasizing his turnovers to help temper expectations and prepare people who follow me for what’s to come.
First, let's discuss turnovers as a stat. Seeing someone with a high turnover rate isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Let’s use an analogy of American football and the quarterback position. A QB might boast about not throwing any interceptions, which seems like a good thing on the surface. But how is he achieving that? What if he never throws the ball downfield, never takes risks? If the QB only checks down or throws the ball away because he’s too scared to make plays, that can be a significant negative for the team’s offense.
The same concept applies in basketball. Sure, having ten assists and zero turnovers every game would be ideal, but that’s not realistic. There’s a spectrum—a balance between being aggressive enough to juice the offense but not so aggressive that the risks outweigh the rewards. The key is finding the optimal level of aggression that yields the best ratio of positive to negative outcomes. So, yes, Kasparas Jakucionis will have the ball in his hands at Illinois, and yes, he will commit turnovers. He’s a freshman in the Big Ten making plays, and with that comes risk.
I’ll note that in the Eurobasket tournament, where there’s a lot of basketball in a short period, being the offensive engine for a team can wear a player down. Jakucionis averaged 4.4 turnovers per game at Eurobasket. But to put that in perspective, potential top-5 NBA pick next season, Nolan Traore of France, averaged 4.7 turnovers per game, and future lottery pick Hugo Gonzalez of Spain averaged 3.6 turnovers per game.
Turnovers are a natural part of the game. However, I will say that some of Jakucionis' turnovers came in crunch time. In one game that Lithuania had essentially won, Jakucionis committed three quick turnovers under defensive pressure, allowing the opponent to get back into the game. Some of his passes lacked the necessary zip, and others were too risky as entry passes. But overall, it’s on the Illinois coaching staff to optimize KJ and help him find that balance.
Defense
Defensively, Kasparas Jakucionis has clear limitations. He’s not here to be a defensive stopper; his role is to be an offensive engine. Lithuania often tried to hide him on defense by assigning him to guard lower-threat offensive players, typically corner shooters, and keeping him out of the main actions. He struggles with transition defense, particularly in getting in front of the ball and stopping it. He’s prone to committing fouls, often going too aggressively after the ball in transition. Positionally, he can be beaten off the dribble by smaller guards, and he’s not the type to fight over screens. When involved in actions, he often switches rather than trying to contest.
Jakucionis' defensive performance is inconsistent, largely depending on his level of engagement and aggression. He has a good feel for the game on offense, which occasionally translates to solid defensive instincts—making the right rotations, getting in passing lanes—but other times, he’s lackadaisical, seemingly conserving energy for the offensive end.
When Jakucionis is not a liability on defense, he reminds me of Luke Goode’s effort on that end of the court. Like Goode, Jakucionis isn’t a defensive stalwart, but when he’s focused and trying hard, he’ll find a way to get in front of the ball and get vertical. He may allow the ball handler to get within ten feet of the basket, but he won’t let them get any further, forcing them to score over him.
His rebounding effort is mixed, which is unfortunate given what he can do with his transition passing when he grabs a defensive rebound. Jakucionis isn’t a great leaper or a particularly physical player. The rebounds he does secure are often uncontested. Again, it’s a consistency issue—sometimes he’ll box out his man and fight for the board, while other times, he’ll wait for his team to secure the rebound and pass it to him.
Kasparas Jakucionis’ Role at Illinois
More than likely, Kasparas Jakucionis is going to be the offensive engine of this Illini team. The good news is that he’ll have much more versatile talent around him than he did with the U18 Lithuanian team, so he won’t have to shoulder the offensive load as heavily. Kylan Boswell can bring the ball up the court and run some offense. Five-star recruit Will Riley appears to be a playmaker. Tre White has the ability to score with the ball in his hands. Tomislav Ivisic can serve as a hub at the elbow, allowing teammates to move around him, and Ty Rodgers can run booty ball.
But there are also more weapons on this team for KJ to utilize. We’ve talked about how Jakucionis can be an alpha. With Tomislav Ivisic being a floor-spacing center, there will be plenty of room for Jakucionis to operate. The two-man game between KJ and Ivisic, whether in the short roll or the pick-and-pop, could be very effective. Having a rim runner like Morez Johnson or Carey Booth who can catch lobs adds another layer to the offense. I’d love to see Jakucionis perfect the 8-foot floater because it would make him even more dangerous with a rim runner or someone like Booth, Rodgers, or Johnson in the dunker’s spot. If Jakucionis can get to that floater spot, he’ll be able to take whatever the defense gives him—hit the floater if the rim protector stays back, throw the lob if the rim protector steps up, or pass to the shooter if the help defense sinks down.
Jakucionis has a wide array of options, making it difficult for defenses to decide what to take away. If they play the drive, he’ll shoot the three. If they play the three, he’ll get into the paint and create. If they double-team him, he’ll pass to the open player. If they play drop coverage, he’ll pull up from three or mid-range. The essence of half-court offense is to create an advantage, and the advantage creator doesn’t have to be the one who scores—they just need to force the defense to overload, send help, or put two on the ball. That’s what unlocks everything. That is what Kasparas Jakucionis will do.
Think of Marcus Domask’s ‘booty ball.’ It was so effective because he’d be in a relatively stationary position, with plenty of time to make a decision, and gradually work his way closer to a dangerous area. All eyes were on him, often drawing a double team, and his post-ups created advantages—teammates could back-cut ball-watching defenders or get open from over-helping. It was beautiful in its simplicity and effectiveness, and it also limited turnovers.
Kasparas Jakucionis will create in a slightly different way. While he could be effective using some ‘booty ball’ techniques, he’ll likely receive a lot of ball screens and can essentially be Illinois’ version of Luka Doncic. Now, do I think KJ can reach Luka’s level in the NBA? No, that’s not the likely outcome. Luka was dominating the Euroleague, winning MVP and a title with Real Madrid at age 18/19 season. I don’t see Jakucionis reaching that level. Perhaps in the NBA he’s more suited for a role as a sixth man—an offensive engine off the bench, a combo guard who can play off-ball with a star and then lead the offense when the star rests. Given his lack of elite athleticism and defense, Jakucionis will need to be truly exceptional on offense to reach All-Star status in the NBA.
But let’s focus on the college game. Kasparas Jakucionis has every chance to be to this Illinois team what Luka is to the Mavericks. Scouts are noticing him—he’s generating buzz from the Euroleague tournament and Illini practices. He’s appearing on draft boards, with some projecting him as a lottery pick. And it’s all because of what we’ve discussed: most offensive players have weaknesses. Boswell hasn’t been the best finisher, so force him off the line. Ty Rodgers can’t shoot, so make him a shooter. Force Luke Goode off the line and make him dribble. But Jakucionis should excel because he has counters for whatever the defense throws at him. It’s the combination of versatile scoring and creation that is intriguing with him.
I do wonder how he’ll fare against Big Ten-level talent, physicality, and athleticism. There were a lot of ticky-tack fouls called in Eurobasket that he might not get in the Big Ten. And when he doesn’t get a foul call, he can pout and let it affect his defense. But based on reports from Illini practices, particularly from Derek Piper, where KJ has been having his way a few defenders mentioned, I’m not as concerned about this as I initially was.
I also wonder how Illinois will fare defensively. The Illini have traditionally run a ‘No Threes’ style defense, where they prioritize not giving up open looks from three, often at the expense of help defense. Everyone is required to be solid and force opponents into tough twos. But how many negative defensive players can Illinois afford to play alongside Jakucionis? Ben Humrichous provides spacing but isn’t particularly fleet of foot. Can Tomislav Ivisic keep up and not get exposed with the speed Illinois wants to play at? Does Will Riley have enough strength to compete defensively? While Jakucionis adds versatility to Illinois’ offense, he also presents challenges for a team that already lacks defensive versatility.
Despite these concerns, I’m excited for the upcoming Illini basketball season. This team has so many offensive weapons—how will they deploy them all? How much of an offensive engine can Kasparas Jakucionis be? How many freshman growing pains will there be? And then there’s the talent—Will Riley is a projected first-round pick, Kylan Boswell is showing up in mock drafts, and Carey Booth might have one of the highest NBA ceiling on this team with his combination of shooting potential, length, athleticism, defense, and rim-running ability. If Booth can nail the three-point shot, he’d be incredibly intriguing to an NBA front office. Ty Rodgers and Tre White also have NBA potential. There are so many dudes on this team, but THE DUDE this season might just be Kasparas Jakucionis
Further Kasparas Jakucionis Content
TL;DR Summary:
Kasparas Jakucionis, a 6’5”, 200lb lead guard ranked 36th in the class of 2024, is set to join Illinois as a freshman. His recent performance in the FIBA U18 Eurobasket Tournament for Lithuania showcased his impressive ball control, patience, and versatility as a three-level scorer. Jakucionis is a skilled shooter, especially in challenging situations, and his ability to slow down the game allows him to make smart decisions and create opportunities for himself and his teammates.
While his offensive skills make him a potential focal point for Illinois, Jakucionis does have areas to improve, particularly on defense with his lack of focus, physicality, and athleticism and in managing turnovers with his aggressiveness.. While the turnovers can be scary, these are common growing pains for a player asked to be the offensive engine.
At Illinois, Jakucionis will benefit from playing alongside more versatile teammates, which should help him maximize his strengths in pick-and-roll situations and as a facilitator. Although he may not reach the level of an NBA superstar, he has the potential to be a star for the Illini and a significant contributor at the college level, with scouts already taking notice of his potential.