Chambana Sun

Illinois guard Kasparas Jakucionis has been named Big Ten Freshman of the Week, as announced by the conference office on Monday. Jakucionis shares this honor with Rutgers' Ace Bailey.

During the nomination period from December 23 to January 5, Jakucionis led the Illinois team to three victories. He averaged a team-high 16.0 points and 5.3 assists per game, along with 5.0 rebounds. His shooting performance included a 60% field goal percentage, 39% from beyond the arc, and a perfect record on seven free throw attempts.

In a notable performance against Washington, Jakucionis scored a team-high 18 points and contributed six assists and five rebounds. He made a crucial left-hand driving layup with 32 seconds remaining to break a tie at 75-all and added two free throws with 12 seconds left to secure the win for Illinois.

Jakucionis also recorded significant stats in other games during this period. Against No. 9 Oregon, he scored 16 second-half points, provided six assists, and grabbed six rebounds in what became Illinois' largest road victory over a top-10 team in history—a margin of 32 points. Additionally, he began this stretch by scoring 14 points with four assists and four rebounds in just 22 minutes during a decisive win over Chicago State.

This is Jakucionis's second time receiving the Big Ten Freshman of the Week award this season; his first recognition was on December 16. Currently, he averages 16.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, and is noted as being the first freshman from a power conference since Markelle Fultz (2016-17) to average more than 16 points, over five rebounds, and more than five assists per game.

The No.13 ranked Illinois will face Penn State on Wednesday night at State Farm Center at 8 p.m., with tickets available through FightingIllini.com.