Chambana Sun

The Big Ten Conference announced its 2025 All-Big Ten teams and individual award winners on Tuesday, with three players from the University of Illinois receiving recognition. Freshman point guard Kasparas Jakucionis was named a second-team All-Big Ten selection by the Associated Press, a third-team pick by league coaches and media, and earned a spot on the Big Ten All-Freshman Team. Jakucionis leads his team in scoring and assists, averaging 15.2 points per game (ppg) and 4.8 assists per game (apg), while also ranking third in rebounding at 5.6 rebounds per game (rpg). He is on track for the third-highest scoring average and fourth-highest assist average by an Illini freshman, having set a rookie season record with eight 20-point games.

Jakucionis joins previous Illini players Trent Frazier, Ayo Dosunmu, Kofi Cockburn, and Andre Curbelo as members of the Big Ten All-Freshman Team during Brad Underwood's tenure as head coach.

Freshman forward Will Riley was named the Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year by conference coaches after averaging 12.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 2.3 assists. Riley emerged as Illinois' second-leading scorer during league play and scored in double figures in ten of the last eleven regular-season games. He averaged 16 ppg over that period with three performances exceeding 20 points.

Sophomore Tomislav Ivisic received honorable mention All-Big Ten honors from media voters. Ivisic is Illinois' second-leading scorer at 12.6 ppg and top rebounder with an average of 7.6 rpg. He leads his team with nine double-doubles and has recorded 31 blocked shots while shooting at a rate of 50% from the field this season.

Coach Underwood has now seen nineteen players earn All-Big Ten selections during his eight-year tenure at Illinois: seven first-teamers, two second-teamers, four third-teamers, and six honorable mentions.

Graduate student Ben Humrichous was honored as Illinois' recipient of the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award.

These achievements have contributed to Illinois' No. 24 national ranking and their sixth consecutive season achieving twenty wins or more with a current record of twenty wins against eleven losses overall. The Illini are among only four teams nationally to achieve such consistency over six years alongside Gonzaga, Houston, and San Diego State; they are tied with Purdue for most victories in Big Ten play over this period.

As defending champions of last year's tournament title run through Chicago-based competition circuit culminating within Indianapolis's Lucas Oil Stadium walls come March Madness time once again looming large upon horizon line across collegiate basketball landscape nationwide--Illinois holds seed number seven heading into Thursday's matchup versus either Ohio State or Iowa following opening round action earlier same day broadcast live via BTN network airwaves beginning promptly half-past five central standard time sharp start signal sounds signaling tip-off imminent arrival soon thereafter thereafter thereafter thereafter thereafter thereafter thereafter thereafter thereafter thereafter thereafter