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Kasparas Jakucionis Commits To Illinois

May 28, 2024 9:11 AM

Lithuania guard Kasparas Jakucionis has committed to the University of Illinois. Jakucionis is considered one of the top international guards heading to a United States college, and he's a potential first-round pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.

The 6-foot-6 guard has appeared in five games for Barcelona across various competitions over the last two seasons. Across multiple different competition, with Barcelona and their youth team, Jakucionis averaged 17.7 points, 6.0 rebounds and 5.2 assists.

Jakucionis is just one of what is expected to be several international players to commit to playing college basketball in the United States. The advent of NIL deals has made collegiate basketball a more attractive path for foreign-born players than it used to be.

Jonathan Givony/ESPN

Tags: Kasparas Jakucionis, Illinois Fighting Illini, Barca, NCAA, NCAA Recruiting, International, International Teams, NCAA Commitment, International Misc Rumor

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Ricky Rubio Signs With Barcelona

Feb 6, 2024 9:13 AM

Ricky Rubio is returning to his roots to continue his basketball career. Rubio has signed a rest-of-season contract with Barcelona. The Spanish club plans to add Rubio to their EuroLeague roster ahead of a Wednesday deadline.

It's still unclear if Rubio will appear in games for Barcelona or not. He recently joined the club for practices, but no decision has been made on his playing status. This deal means that when, and if, Rubio is ready to play, there will be a roster spot available for him with Barcelona.

Rubio put his basketball career on pause over the summer to deal with mental health issues. The veteran point guard missed the 2023 FIBA World Cup, and then didn't report to the Cleveland Cavaliers to open the NBA season later in the fall. Rubio and Cleveland agreed to a contract buyout in early-January.

Rubio said in a recent interview that he's doing much better with the issues that kept him from playing this season. He said he was unclear if he'd return to the court, but if he did, it would likely be in Spain.

BasketNews.com

Tags: Ricky Rubio, Barca, International, International Teams, International Official Signing

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