In-Person Scouting Notes: Illinois vs Minnesota Plus Timberwolves, Rockets, and Bulls
Tyler Metcalf had boots on the ground again all week and shares his thoughts on some 2025 NBA Draft prospects in Kasparas Jakucionis, Will Riley, and others--along with some NBA impressions.
This was another busy scouting week for me that was highlighted by Illinois vs. Minnesota. This matchup allowed me to get eyes on 2025 NBA Draft prospects Kasparas Jakucionis, Will Riley, Tomislav Ivisic, and Morez Johnson, along with Dawson Garcia and Isaac Asuma. Earlier in the week, I also attended the Minnesota Timberwolves games against both the Chicago Bulls and Houston Rockets, where I got a good look at Matas Buzelis, Amen Thompson, Rob Dillingham, Jaylen Clark, and Terrence Shannon Jr. Here are my takeaways on it all.
Kasparas Jakucionis – PG 6’6” Illinois Freshman
I was lucky enough to see Jakucionis in person at last year’s Hoop Summit, where he impressed, so I was eager to see him again. He did not disappoint. The second I sat down for warmups, it was yet again obvious that he’s clearly a pro. His warmup consisted of a lot of form shooting and intricate, game-like details. Jakucionis constantly drilled shot attempts with unorthodox footwork, difficult finishing angles, and through contact. It was a warmup that mirrored those that I’ve seen from NBA guards—simply putting that style of warmup and attention to detail in a college setting made the tier that he’s in as a prospect even more obvious. At the end of his warmup too, Jakucionis went out of his way to sign some autographs and take pictures with some kids.
In the first half, Jakucionis was underwhelming. He wasn’t bad by any means; he just had a quiet half. It felt like a boxer trying to find his range early in a fight because he came out swinging in the second half. Jakucionis ramped up his aggressiveness and scoring versatility, which helped Illinois quickly balloon their lead.