As expected, Will Riley and Kasparas Jakučionis won't participate in 5-on-5 scrimmages at the NBA Draft Combine this week. Both #Illini will speak to the media on Wednesday. I'll be in Chicago to cover both players for The Daily Illini, so stay tuned for updates later this week.

#Illini Will Riley has met with Portland, Charlotte, Minnesota, Philly, and multiple other NBA teams. Here’s what he told me about the feedback he’s received: “Just growing physically, gaining more muscle, working on my defense. That’s probably the main thing I’ve heard so far.”

#Illinois officially adds another assistant to fill Tim Anderson's open role that had temporarily been held by Kwa Jones. Camryn Crocker has been an assistant coach at Colgate since 2022 and was the Director of Player Development at Stanford for three seasons prior.

#Illini Will Riley is only 19, but he’s just a month away from hearing his name called in the #NBADraft. “It’s crazy how fast it came to be,” Riley said at the NBA Draft Combine. “It was like yesterday I was in high school.” Story for The Daily Illini: dailyillini.com/sports-stories…

The 2026 commitments continue to roll in for #Illinois, as four-star athlete Nasir Rankin announced he will join the #Illini during a ceremony at Morgan Park High School on Wednesday afternoon. dailyillini.com/sports-stories…

“Before me, before Tomislav, it wasn’t a lot of European guys coming to Illinois,” said Kasparas Jakučionis. Now, after Jakučionis’ strong freshman season, #Illinois has 5 Europeans on next year’s team. Sahil Mittal on the new #Illini-Euro connection:dailyillini.com/sports-stories…

#Illini guard/forward Ty Rodgers sustained an injury during a pickup game while at home in Michigan that will keep him out indefinitely, according to Brad Underwood. "It's a knee, so it's lower body, and he'll have to have surgery," Underwood said. The Daily Illini Sports | The Daily Illini

Former #Illini walk-on guard Keaton Kutcher is now the Assistant Strength Coach for the men's basketball program, according to his Instagram bio.

.Sahil Mittal rounds up some of the most important points from #Illini head coach Brad Underwood's media availability earlier this week, including: 🔸Ty Rodgers' knee injury 🔹Camryn Crocker will run defense 🔸Mirković not close to visa yet 🔹Retention dailyillini.com/sports-stories…

The Miami Heat are selecting Kasparas Jakučionis at No. 20 overall. The Daily Illini Sports | The Daily Illini

#Illini guard Kasparas Jakučionis is headed to South Beach. After he fell out of the lottery, the Miami Heat scooped up the 19-year old Lithuanian with the No. 20 overall pick in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft. dailyillini.com/sports-stories…

Back-to-back #Illini were selected in the first round of the NBA Draft. Immediately after Jakučionis was chosen by Miami at No. 20, the Utah Jazz drafted Will Riley No. 21 overall. Riley will end up going to Washington as a part of a draft-night trade. dailyillini.com/sports-stories…

Despite going undrafted in the 2025 NBA Draft, former #Illini Coleman Hawkins has received an opportunity to begin his pro journey. Hawkins has agreed to join the Golden State Warriors for NBA Summer League this July. Sahil Mittal has the story: dailyillini.com/sports-stories…

After four straight winning seasons in Las Vegas, former UNLV head coach Kevin Kruger will join the #Illinois basketball staff as an assistant to head coach Brad Underwood. “It was a no-brainer,” Underwood said of the hire. The Daily Illini Sports | The Daily Illini dailyillini.com/sports-stories…

Made the trip to Las Vegas for NBA Summer League to cover several former #Illini playing in the event. First up today is Kasparas Jakučionis, who is about to play his 4th game in Vegas. I'll be interviewing him after the game- content coming soon. The Daily Illini | The Daily Illini Sports

Gear up for football season by learning a little bit about some of #Illinois’ most notable rivalries. Senior Sports Reporter Ben breaks down the importance of 3 of the most iconic trophies the #Illini will be looking to win in 2025. dailyillini.com/special-sectio…

A key piece of the 2024 #Illini Elite Eight roster, Dain Dainja recently began his pro career for the Miami Heat at NBA Summer League. Sahil Mittal spoke with Dainja in Las Vegas about going pro, the Heat, his last college season at Memphis, and more: dailyillini.com/sports-stories…

Former #Illini Leron Black began his coaching journey in 2021 after a brief pro playing career. Just 4 years later, he will debut on an NBA bench this fall with the Portland Trailblazers. “I love it,” Black told Sahil Mittal at NBA Summer League. dailyillini.com/sports-stories…

#Illini fan-favorite Coleman Hawkins began his pro career at NBA Summer League in July, playing 6 games. “Right now, I just got to get used to the pace and different spacing and where everyone’s at on the court,” Hawkins told me. Read more for The Daily Illini Sports:dailyillini.com/sports-stories…

After playing for a young #Illini squad last season, Will Riley is starting his NBA career with another youthful team: the Washington Wizards. “I feel like it’s the perfect fit,” Riley told Sahil Mittal about being a part of the Wizards’ young core. dailyillini.com/sports-stories…