Analyzing Kasparas Jakucionis, DJ Davis, and Tre White in the Illinois-Washington Game

January 5th, 2025

Today, I took the time to watch Illinois’ 6-6 freshman guard, Kasparas Jakucionis and Illinois take on Washington in a very competitive Big Ten basketball game. Illinois got off to a strong start early on, and Jakucionis had a sterling first half performance, but Washington rallied back due to a terrific shooting performance from DJ Davis. Illinois was able to withstand Washington’s comeback attempt to get a narrow road win, and they received strong performances, most notably from Jakucionis, Tre White, and Kylan Boswell. Here are my thoughts on how they and other top performers fared in this game.

Illinois’ 6-6 freshman, guard Kasparas Jakucionis scored 18 points, and had 6 assists and 5 rebounds to lead his team to a 81-77 road win over Washington. (Photo: Lindsey Wasson/Associated Press, via The Herald Journal)

Kasparas Jakucionis had a solid showing to help lead his team to a win over Washington. He had a stellar first half, and he is a quick, big point guard that can make an assortment of plays on offense due to being a highly skilled, shifty playmaker that has a very good feel for the game.

Jakucionis showed a gifted ability to score off the dribble. He is a crafty scorer that would score on strong, smooth drives to the hoop, and he is a very good ball handler that will use his agility, footwork, and scoring touch to consistently finish plays around the basket. He also used a pump fake and a step-through move to score on a pull-up, mid-range jumper.

She also showed a decent ability to knock down outside shots. Jakucionis showed great quickness and footwork to create separation between himself and his defender, and he was able to utilize his crafty ball-handling and footwork to make a couple of very impressive, step-back threes. On the downside, he tended to take tough, step-back threes, which led him to miss his fair share of three-pointers down the stretch.

He also displayed good playmaking skills. Jakucionis has great court vision, and he showed the knack for making good passes off the dribble, and for finding teammates on the move to rack up assists. On the downside, he would sometimes over-dribble and struggle to protect the basketball, which would lead to some ball-handling turnovers.

Also, Jakucionis was able to get boards on both ends of the floor to help chip in on the glass. Defensively, he looked to be perhaps above average. For the positives, he is an active defender that would get his hands on passes and poke balls away to get steals and deflections. He also was able to rotate to contest a floater to force a miss, and he also cut off penetration to force a traveling violation another time. On the downside, he would struggle to stay in front of his man in the second half, and he would consistently get beat off the dribble to allow scores down the stretch.

In summary, Jakucionis played well in his team’s win over Washington. He did a good job of shooting, scoring, and distributing the basketball, and he especially played well in the first half to help his team get the victory. He is an agile, very skilled guard that could be a top 5 pick in the 2025 draft, as he could end up being a solid starter similar to former Detroit Pistons’ All-Star point guard, Chauncey Billups in the NBA.

DJ Davis scored 31 points on 11-of-19 shooting, and he made 7 of 14 threes in his team’s tough 81-77 loss to Illinois. (Photo: Lindsey Wasson/The Associated Press, via The Seattle Times)

Washington’s 6-1 senior guard, DJ Davis had a tremendous showing in his team’s tough loss to Illinois. He did an excellent job of shooting and scoring the basketball, and he was outstanding at running off of ball screens to make quick threes from beyond the arc. Davis was terrific at knocking down threes in this game, and he especially thrived at making spot-up threes off the catch, as he has an ultra-quick release. He also was able to dribble off of a screen and pull-up to make a three later on. Plus, he also was able to go to his left to make a long two. He also showed a solid ability to score off the dribble, and he showed the balance, body control, and finishing ability to do so. Davis also was able to score off of a back cut.

He looked to be fairly average as a playmaker in this game. While he did a tremendous job of knocking down shots, he was not quite as good at distributing the basketball. For the positives, he showed that he can make passes off the dribble, and he was able to notch an assist once. On the downside, he did commit a couple of turnovers. He threw an errant pass that got intercepted once. On another drive, he got stripped and tied up late in this game.

Though he didn’t grab many rebounds, Davis was able to get a defensive board once. He also played adequate defense. Davis intercepted a pass to get a steal. Another time though, he got outmuscled when defending a drive to give up the basket.

In general, DJ Davis was terrific in his team’s loss to Illinois, as he scored 31 points and made 7 three-pointers in this game, and it was all the more impressive since he came off the bench to produce on offense. He is an agile, skilled sharpshooting combo guard that moves very well off the ball and showcased his shooting prowess, and his jump shot and ability to make plays on offense could enable him to make it to the NBA, as he could end up being a similar player to Charlotte Hornets’ guard, Seth Curry in the association.

Tre White also had a solid showing to help lead Illinois to a win over Washington. The 6-7 junior forward showed a knack for making plays off the dribble and out of the post to score the basketball, and he also was able to make a clutch defensive play to help his team secure the victory. White showed a solid ability to score off the dribble. He showed good strength, balance, and finishing ability to regularly score around the basket. He also would make turnaround jumpers out of the post. He also would look to score on hustle plays, and he was able to score on a strong put back while getting fouled once. Sometimes though, he would occasionally take tough, contested shots that would lead to misses, and he also missed all of the threes he took from beyond the arc.

On the downside, he was quite turnover prone on offense. For the positives, White is a willing passer, and he can capably make passes off the dribble as well as out of the post. However, sometimes he would throw hasty, inaccurate passes that would get intercepted. He also drove in but had a ball stolen away from him to commit another turnover.

He also did a decent job of rebounding the basketball. White also played satisfactory defense. He was able to poke a ball away and force a tie-up on an opposing ball handler to help his team get a key steal late in the game. On the other hand, there was one play where he got beat off the dribble, which led him to commit the foul.

Overall, White played well to help his team get a win over Washington. He is an athletic, energetic forward that excels at scoring and making hustle plays, but he will need to improve his outside shot in the meantime. Still, with his skill set and intangibles, he could end up playing his way into the NBA sometime down the road.

Kylan Boswell also had a solid showing to help his team get a win over Washington. Boswell was consistent as a shot maker and scorer on offense, and he made big plays to help his team secure the victory.

Boswell excelled as a shooter and scorer in this game. He showed a fairly solid ability to score off the dribble, as he particularly excelled at going to his left, and he also can take on the contact to get additional free throws after scoring. He also was able to use a crafty pump fake to pull up and make a three-pointer while getting fouled. Boswell also managed to score out of the post, as well as off of a quick cut. On the downside, sometimes he would take tough, off-balanced shots, which would sometimes lead to misses, especially in cases where he would not get foul calls. In this game, Boswell showed that he excelled at making shots from all over the floor, and he did a great job of drawing fouls to get to the free throw line.

He also displayed adequate playmaking skills. While he predominantly looked to score, Boswell was able to quickly swing the ball to notch an assist, and he also took very good care of the basketball. Plus, he showed a satisfactory ability to rebound the basketball. Defensively, there were a couple of instances where he would struggle to fight through screens to stay with his man, which would result in his team allowing three-point baskets.

Overall, Kylan Boswell played well, and he especially thrived as a shot maker on offense. Currently, he is a second round prospect for the 2025 draft. He will need to show NBA teams that he can consistently defend at the next level, but his ability to make shots and plays with the ball in his hands could enable him to carve out a role as a backup point guard at the NBA level.

Great Osobor had his ups and downs in his team’s loss to Illinois. He was able to make some strong plays out of the post, was effective as a screen setter, and he also defended well, but he missed a lot more shots than expected on offense.

Osobor did an adequate job of scoring out of the post. He was able to use a drop step move to score on a jump hook. He also used another strong drop step move to score while getting fouled. Plus, he would use spin moves and drop steps to draw fouls in order to get to the free throw line. However, sometimes he would struggle to score when matched up against taller, longer defenders, as he had a couple of his shots blocked, and he also missed a couple of times when driving to the hoop. In addition, he didn’t really look to take shots from further out.

As a playmaker, he looked to be fairly average. Osobor is a willing passer that can make accurate passes to find the open man, and he would set solid screens to help his teammates get open jump shots. On the downside, he was a bit turnover prone, and he would sometimes commit ball-handling turnovers.

He didn’t grab nearly as many rebounds for a player his size, but he was able to get boards on both ends of the floor. He also played satisfactory defense in this game. Osobor showed a knack for poking balls away from opposing ball handlers to get steals, and he has good hands and instincts to do so. He also rotated to block a shot to prevent an opponent from scoring on the break, and he would close out to contest shots both out on the perimeter and in the paint. On the downside, sometimes he would play too aggressively, which would lead him to commit fouls and allow scores. There was one instance where he bit on a pump fake and fouled a three-point shooter while giving up the basket.

Overall, Great Osobor was able to make some good plays in this game, but his play was a bit too uneven on offense. He’ll need to add a reliable outside shot to his arsenal, but his low post scoring skills, strength, along with his emerging passing and defensive skills could make him a prospect to watch in the future.

Zoom Diallo also had a decent showing in his team’s loss to Illinois. The 6-3 freshman point guard did a great job of passing the basketball, and he would continuously make patient passes off the dribble and find teammates on the move to rack up assists.

While he showed some ability to score out of the post and dribble, in which he was able to make a floater once, Diallo struggled to consistently score or make shots from the outside, and he would sometimes shuffle his feet to commit ball-handling turnovers. He also was able to get a board on each end of the floor to chip in on the glass. He also was able to contest a mid-range jumper to force a miss. Overall, Diallo is a strong, mobile point guard that will need to add a reliable outside shot to his arsenal, but he could be a prospect to watch in the future.

Washington’s 6-3 senior guard, Luis Kortright had a satisfactory showing in his team’s loss to Illinois. He excelled as a shooter, scorer, and defender in this game. Kortright showed a penchant for making quick, open spot-up threes off the catch. He also managed to back his man down to score on offense. He also made a good defensive play late in the game by running in to intercept a lazy pass to get a steal, and he drove in to score on a quick layup. Overall, Kortright will need to show NBA teams that he can reliably run the point at higher levels, and he actually hasn’t shot the three-ball well on the season, but his shot making ability combined with having above average athletic gifts could enable him to carve out a playing career in professional basketball when his collegiate career ends.

Washington’s 6-8 sophomore forward, Tyler Harris had his ups and downs in this game. He was able to make some plays on offense, but he didn’t contribute nearly enough nor show his signature floor spacing abilities, as he was too passive in his team’s loss to Illinois.

He is a fairly athletic, skilled swingman that projects into a 3 and D role at the NBA level. Harris has shot the three-ball well on the season, but he only took one three-pointer in this game, and he missed his lone attempt from beyond the arc, an open spot-up three off the catch. He will need to be much more assertive in looking to take threes to project well in a complementary role at the NBA level moving forward.

On the plus side, he excelled at scoring on hustle plays. Harris was able to run in to score on a floater off of a put back. He also managed to score on a quick drive in transition. On another occasion, he drove to the post, and used a drop step move to score. However, there was one occasion where he missed on a contested floater once.

He didn’t seem to make any noteworthy passes in this game, but he had some trouble protecting the basketball, and there was one play where he dribbled up court before clumsily dribbling the ball off of himself as it went out of bounds.

Also, he was able to get boards on both ends of the floor to help chip in on the glass. On the downside, he would sometimes play too aggressively and other times would be late on his rotations, which would lead him to commit fouls and allow scores. Overall, Harris didn’t really seem to do enough to warrant much attention for the 2025 draft based on this game, but on the season, it seems he projects into a 3 and D role for the NBA, and he will need to be more comfortable in taking more three-point shots in games.

Illinois’ 7-1 sophomore center, Tomislav Ivisic had his ups and downs in his team’s win over Washington. He is a skilled, mobile big man that showed off versatile scoring skills, but he wasn’t as consistent at making plays in this game. Ivisic showed an adequate ability to score out of the post. He was able to use a spin move to score. Another time, he was able to get deep position, which enabled him to use a pivot move to score on a jump hook, but Ivisic struggled to make jump hooks consistently. While he ran in to score on a put back once, he missed on another occasion. Ivisic was able to use a pump fake to make a three, but he also was a bit streaky with his jump shot.

As a playmaker, he looked to be fairly average. He was able to get the ball on a short roll and passed out to find an open shooter, and Ivisic is a good passer for a center. Sometimes though, he would struggle to protect the basketball. He dropped a pass out of the post that led to a turnover. There was another play where he held the ball too long and had it stolen away from him.

Also, Ivisic did a very good job of rebounding the basketball. Defensively, he looked to be about average at best. For the positives, he was able to block a shot when defending in the post out of bounds. He also would use his length to contest shots to force some misses. On the downside, he and his team struggled frequently to defend in screen situations, as he wouldn’t communicate effectively to his teammates, which would lead his team to give up threes and floaters. Other times, he would struggle to defend quicker, stronger opponents off the dribble and out of the post, which would lead him to commit fouls and allow scores.

Overall, Ivisic didn’t have his best game, he showed that he is a skilled big man that can make plays to help his team, especially on offense, and he could be an interesting option for NBA teams to consider in the late first to the second round range of the 2025 draft.

Washington’s 6-10 senior big man, Wilhelm Breidenbach shot the ball well and was active as a rebounder off the bench. Breidenbach was able to make an open three off of a pick and pop play, and he also used a ball fake to make an open long two. Plus, he managed to score on a put back after grabbing an offensive rebound.

He also defended well, as he would close out on shooters to force misses, and he also poked a ball away to get a steal. While he is only an average athlete, he is a smart, skilled big man whose shooting abilities and feel for the game could enable him to carve out a solid playing career in professional basketball.

Ben Humrichous didn’t have a great game in his team’s win over Washington. He didn’t shoot the ball nearly as well, as he struggled to consistently connect from downtown. He was able to score on a cut to the hoop, but he also struggled to score off the dribble or out of the post. He also showed off decent playmaking skills. He would throw accurate entry passes to set up scores for his teammates, and he is a willing passer that will look to find the open man. On one play though, he got intercepted when trying to make a drive and dish in transition.

He also did an adequate job of rebounding the basketball. Humrichous also defended well. He was able to rotate to block a shot off of a drive to a teammate. He also would use his length to cut off penetration and stay in front of his man to force misses. On the downside, sometimes he would give up too much space, which would allow opponents to get enough room to score the basketball.

Overall, Humrichous didn’t his best game, but his a tall, mobile forward whose floor spacing skills could enable him to project into a 3 and D role at the NBA level, and he is currently a borderline second round candidate for the 2025 draft.

Morez Johnson Jr. didn’t get much playing time, but he was able to have some good moments in his team’s win over Washington. He particularly excelled as a finisher around the basket. The athletic, 6-9 freshman forward was able to sprint down court to catch a long pass to score on the break. He also was able to get the ball in the post to score another time.

However, there was one play where he dropped a pass out of the post that led to a turnover. Johnson also did a very good job of rebounding the basketball. Defensively, he was active, but he and his team struggled to defend in screen situations, and there was another play where he got outmuscled when defending in the post, which led him to commit a foul that time.

Overall, Johnson is an athletic, energetic big man that could project into a rim protector role at the NBA level, but he will need to get more playing time and find ways to stay out of foul trouble. He’s a rim runner that can provide energy on both ends of the floor, and he could project to be a rotational big man at the NBA level.

Will Riley had his ups and downs in his team’s win over Washington. He’s struggled to find a consistent footing off the bench recently, but he’s still been able to make some solid plays on the court every once in a while.

Riley was able to get the ball down low and make a strong move to score in traffic. He also drove hard in transition to draw free throws. However, he missed on a turnaround leaner off the dribble, and Riley also missed on a corner three in his lone three-point attempt in this game.

He also struggled to handle the ball, especially when pressured, which led him to commit a couple of turnovers. Riley had the ball poked away to commit a turnover, and he also was called for traveling due to taking too many steps another time.

He also was active at crashing the glass to help his team get some defensive rebounds. He also played adequate defense. Riley was able to deflect a pass out of bounds, but there was one play where he got beat off the dribble to allow a score.

Overall, Riley has had some strong games and lackluster games, but right now, it seems that he seems to be struggling with his jump shot lately, especially in games where he doesn’t get an ample amount of playing time to iron out his struggles. He’s an athletic forward that projects into a 3 and D role at the NBA level and can provide some scoring, but he’ll need to be more consistent in games. Currently, he projects to be a second round prospect, but some good games in the future could help him move back up draft boards.

All in all, those are my thoughts on how Kasparas Jakucionis, DJ Davis, and other various prospects fared in this game. Thanks for reading.