Night one of the 2025 NBA Draft was an exciting one for the Illinois basketball program as the Fighting Illini had two players drafted in the first round. Kasparas Jakucionis and Will Riley were both selected on Wednesday night, and to make the situation even cooler, they were taken on back-to-back picks. Jakucionis was selected by the Miami Heat with 20th overall pick, and Riley was selected by the Utah Jazz with the 21st pick. He was then immediately traded to the Washington Wizards.

Kasparas Jakucionis and Will Riley both spent just one season with the Illinois basketball program, and now they are going pro. It was a cool moment for them being drafted back-to-back.

“That's crazy, to be honest. Like last year, I didn't expect that it would be this moment, like you said, going one after another, and I'm so happy for him,” Jakucionis told Andy Katz on Wednesday night. “I'm so happy that we both made it. But like I said, it's just the beginning for something new, and I just want to start working.”

This past season didn't go to plan for Illinois, but there were still a lot of bright moments. Riley and Jakucionis gave their all to the Fighting Illini.

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“I feel like, you know, the one-and-done area, I feel like we did it, me and him,” Riley said. “Together we fought through and we did our best for Illinois.”

Will Riley wasn't perfect for Illinois as there were some rough stretches that he went through, but he always battled through it, and now he is going to play in the NBA. He is grateful for the entire experience.

“I feel like adversity is the best way to put it, and I feel like I dealt with it, and I feel like I'm a strong person for it,” he said. “So I feel like it was very good for me as a human being.”

Kasparas Jakucionis and Will Riley both had outstanding seasons for the Illinois basketball team, and now they can officially say that they were first-round draft picks. The future is bright for both of these young players.