On a night when most projections saw Illinois guard Kasparas Jakucionis solidly in the lottery and teammate Will Riley as a late first-rounder with the potential to fall, it was Jakucionis who slipped and Riley who basically held form,

The Washington Wizards have selected Will Riley with the No. 21 pick in the 2025 NBA draft. Riley was named Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year in 2025. He set the Illinois freshman record for points in a debut with 31 against Eastern Illinois and later broke the program’s freshman NCAA tournament scoring mark with 22 in a Round 1 win over Xavier.

While projections have fluctuated for Kasparas Jakučionis and Will Riley, one outcome has remained consistent: By the end of the first round, there should be two new Illini in the NBA.