If interest in a program’s individual talent from scouts and clubs in the NBA Draft is any indication of college basketball success, then Illinois appears to be doing something right.
Recently, the NBA released the list of invitees to its draft combine scheduled for May 11-18 in Chicago, and two current Illini – Kasparas Jakucionis and Will Riley – made the cut. No big surprise there. Both are considered virtual locks to be selected in the first round (and possibly inside the lottery).
The NBA announced today that 75 players have been invited to the 2025 NBA Draft Combine, which will take place from May 11-18 at Wintrust Arena and the Marriott Marquis in Chicago.
Additionally, a select number of standout players from the 2025 NBA G League Elite Camp, which… pic.twitter.com/KlCy4tcvW8
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) May 2, 2025
Both have something to prove.
Jakucionis has plenty going for him – he’s a 6-foot-6 point guard with pick-and-roll instincts, shooting range and the clutch gene, and he’s still just 18. But NBA scouts will be keeping an eye on his loose handle and will undoubtedly want to know if his burst and athleticism play at the highest level, especially on defense.
Riley – a 6-foot-8 forward with ball skills and a spectacular-but-streaky scoring package – may have the purer modern NBA skills of the two, but his consistency and physicality will be questioned until he gives scouts a reason to zip it. In his favor: Riley already has shown the willingness and ability to build his body, and he only turned 19 in February.
Who else? That sound you hear is crickets in the cornfields surrounding Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus.
Jakucionis and Riley were the only two players from last season’s Illinois squad who declared for the 2025 NBA Draft (June 25), but there was an expectation that several former draft-eligible Illini might draw interest from the pros.
The two names that seemed most likely to appear on the NBA Draft Combine invite list were those of Coleman Hawkins (Kansas State) and Dain Dainja (Memphis), transfers who each had played for coach Brad Underwood at Illinois as recently as the 2023-24 season. Neither made the cut.
Another 44 draft-eligible players were invited to the NBA G League Elite Camp (May 9-11), the most promising of which will get a chance to be added to the NBA Draft Combine. Although that list is subject to change, according to the G League, neither Hawkins nor Dainja were among the initial invitees.
Hawkins’ omission, in particular, stings after he was invited to the NBA Draft Combine a year ago.
Given that the pros are already sniffing around at least a couple current Illini (Tomislav Ivisic, Andrej Stojakovic), Underwood may get the chance at roughly this time in 2026 to watch one of his players go in the NBA Draft for a fourth year in a row (and fifth time in six years).
Went to watch Illinois’ Will Riley working out in Los Angeles. The Big Ten’s Sixth Man of the Year has a big week coming at the NBA Combine in Chicago. The 19-year-old Canadian is building his frame while maintaining his guard skills at 6’8. pic.twitter.com/TfuhkcBxhl
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) May 6, 2025
