Queen and Reese dominated Illinois, winning 91-70 delivering a commanding performance, taking down Illinois in a 20-point blowout. Jakucionis and his teammates struggled from the field, but even in the face of a rough shooting night, Jakucionis’ skill set was on full display.

Before diving deeper, I have to highlight the unselfishness between Jakucionis and Queen. Jakucionis consistently set up his teammates with excellent looks, finishing the game with 7 assists—though it easily could’ve been 10 or more. His hustle on the boards also stood out; grabbing a rebound and immediately pushing the ball in transition showcased his relentless energy. Defensively, he was engaged, fighting through screens and showing plenty of effort on that end too. Despite the blowout scoreline, had Jakucionis found his shooting rhythm, this could’ve been a much more exciting game.

Jakucionis struggled from the field, going 0-4 from three-point range and missing a few shots badly, including some airballs. However, his ability to get to the basket and draw fouls was evident. He spent a lot of time at the free-throw line, finishing 11-12. Jakucionis’ final stat line—21 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists—reflects his overall impact on the game, though it wasn’t without flaws.

His ability to make difficult, creative passes was impressive, but it came at a cost: 7 turnovers. Jakucionis also needs to be more protective of the ball, as a few possessions saw it get poked away. While the airballs came after solid moves, he needs to work on strengthening his core to finish those shots. Overall, though, I’m excited about his potential—his energy and skill set are undeniable. With some adjustments, Jakucionis can become a real problem for opposing teams.

Derik Queen had a standout performance, finishing with 25 points and 6 rebounds. Queen’s an intriguing big man, and as I mentioned before, his passing ability is remarkable. He hit backdoor cutters, threw a beautiful touch pass to Reese, lobbed it over the top to him multiple times and showed impressive vision on outlet and bounce passes. It’s a joy to watch.

In addition to his passing, Queen’s physicality is evident. He’s a strong, powerful player who can rebound and finish around the rim. Against Illinois, he used his body to dominate in the paint, spin moves that would make Shaq say “BBQ Chicken”. His footwork on those moves are impressive.

There are still areas of concern. Queen has a nice touch around the basket and in the mid-range, but he’ll need to expand his shooting range to the three-point line if he wants to develop his offensive game at the next level. Defensively, I’m curious to see how he handles playing on the perimeter. While he contests shots and puts in effort, he doesn’t look particularly agile, which could pose challenges in pick-and-roll situations. A true test will come on defense when he faces off against Dylan Harper and Rutgers on February 9. Harper loves the pick and roll, I’ll be eyeing how it plays out.