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Miami Heat Draft Illinois’ Kasparas Jakucionis: What He’ll Bring

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Miami Heat Draft Illinois’ Kasparas Jakucionis: What He’ll Bring


On Wednesday, the Miami Heat drafted Illinois guard Kasparas Jakucionis with the 20th pick in the NBA Draft. After he was projected in the No. 8-12 range, Jakucionis’ slip to 20 was a bit of a surprise, but the Heat snatched him up in what figures to be an excellent match for both player and franchise.

Here’s what Miami can expect to get from Jakucionis:

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Offensively, Jakucionis is a dynamic scorer and a game-altering playmaker. Although he isn’t a superb athlete, he has solid burst in his first step and plays with a distinct herky-jerky change of pace, while possessing highly coveted positional size (6-foot-6 at point guard). Terrifically crafty and exceptionally patient in the paint, Jakucionis has in his bag seemingly every up-fake, step-through and spin known to mankind.

With the ability to finish with either hand and in practically any manner (same hand, same foot, high off the glass, etc.), Jakucionis finishes well at the rim and is even better at drawing fouls (he shot 5.1 free throws per game last season) – an ability that will only be enhanced by offense-lenient whistles in the league.

As a shooter, Jakucionis has a smooth stroke and always appears to be balanced on his jumper. Although he shot just 31.8 percent from deep, Jakucionis did connect on 1.6 threes per game, and notably took ill-advised jumpers – often step-backs – at times. Between the eye test and his excellent free throw percentage (84.5 percent), he can be expected to boost that percentage as an NBA player – perhaps quickly.

The top table-setter in this draft class, Jakucionis has that third eye – the ability to see a play unfold before it actually happens – and subsequently can move defenders around like pieces on a chess board. He’s an on-target passer, able to deliver dimes with either hand.

Jakucionis brings together the best pieces of his game – change of pace, craftiness, feel and passing – to create a dominant ball handler in screen-and-roll situations. He makes consistently strong decisions in the two-man game, understanding when to hit his roller, the spot-up shooter in the corner or finish off a play with a bucket himself.

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Yet Jakucionis is hardly a perfect player – and the shortcomings in his game are quite apparent. He led the Big Ten in turnovers per game last season (3.7) and has a tendency to dribble himself into poor situations too often – or simply lose his handle altogether. With a high dribble and an occasionally overconfident attitude toward ball security, Jakucionis is prone to getting his pocket picked. He also forces passes into tight windows, which can make him look like Magic Johnson’s heir apparent but just as often makes him look like an alter ego: Tragic Johnson.

Still, the turnovers can be cleaned up over time, and they often aren’t a stat that deters NBA front offices – especially in young point guards. The biggest question mark surrounding Jakucionis in the early going will be his lack of athleticism and, in turn, his ability to effectively defend at the next level.

His quick burst on the offensive end hasn’t translated to defense, and he isn’t a high flyer. Jakucionis’ tendency to fall asleep in help-side certainly doesn’t bolster his case. But given his high-IQ offense, there’s potential for him to develop into an average NBA defender who can rely on anticipation to stay afloat, while making sure his presence is felt on the other end.

Come back to Illinois on SI for news, analysis, social media reactions and more coverage of Illinois in the NBA Draft.

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Produce Recall Issued In Parasite Outbreak Hitting IL

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Produce Recall Issued In Parasite Outbreak Hitting IL


A number of Taco Bell locations have posted signs announcing they are “currently unable to sell Lettuce, Cilantro Onion, Pico de Gallo, and Guacamole due to a nationwide recall,” according to Detroit-area news radio outlet WWJ.

Taco Bell told the Post it would keep monitoring the situation and follow authorities’ guidance.

Taco Bell Lettuce Linked To Growing MI Parasite Outbreak: FDA

“Public health officials have not confirmed a link to Taco Bell or any specific ingredient, supplier, restaurant or retailer,” the company told the Post. “While authorities continue their broader review, Taco Bell has voluntarily and temporarily removed limited ingredients at select restaurants as a precautionary measure.”

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In Michigan, where cases have been concentrated, media reports said notices were posted at some Detroit-area Taco Bell restaurants last week telling customers the chain was “currently unable to sell Lettuce, Cilantro-Onion, Pico de Gallo, and Guacamole due to a nationwide recall.”





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Illinois GOP trails badly in midterm cash

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Illinois GOP trails badly in midterm cash


The Illinois Republican Party filed its quarterly campaign finance report on the July 15 deadline. The party reported having just $223K in the bank. The next day, the party sent a letter to the Illinois State Board of Elections saying they were “reconciling” their records after a leadership change, and then noted that their actual end balance was $101K higher than it had reported the day before.

But that bit of found money was basically the end of the “good news” for the GOP last week.

Republicans no longer have a pet billionaire. Bruce Rauner and Ken Griffin have fled the state. The legions of wealthy business titans who once contributed and raised money have either retired to sunnier climes or passed away. Several prominent party members have publicly shunned labor unions and their hefty political war chests, although the state GOP legislative leaders have at least tried to rebuild ties to trade unions and even the Illinois Education Association. But the heavily gerrymandered legislative map combined with the current political climate means they’ll mostly receive scraps.

And, yes, the House Democrats are struggling this month with scandals, including a state representative who resigned under pressure and another who was indicted. I’m not trying to downplay that at all. But Democrats have the national political environment, the local infrastructure and tons of cash behind them. The Republicans have little to none of that.

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The GOP’s gubernatorial candidate, Darren Bailey, raised $1.3 million in the second quarter, which ended June 30. That sounds like a lot, but he spent almost all of that on direct mail fundraising costs. The huge expenditures do give him a prospect list for future fundraising, but he ended the quarter with a mere $128K in the bank. That was still a whole lot more than the rest of the statewide ticket.

Attorney General nominee Bob Fioretti, a perennial candidate, raised $31K, spent $39K and had $28K on hand at the end of the quarter along with almost $15K in recent debt. Secretary of State candidate Diane Harris raised $6K, spent a bit over $4K and had a paltry $1,816.42 in the bank. Treasurer candidate Max Solomon, who ran as a write-in during the primary because the party failed to recruit anyone, raised less than $3K, reported no spending and ended the quarter with less than $8K. Comptroller candidate Bryan Drew raised $30K and received $47K in in-kind contributions from a company owned, ironically, by independent gubernatorial candidate Collin Corbett, spent less than $3K, ended with $54K and had $25K in debt from earlier this year.

Man, that’s just downright pathetic.

But I suppose it doesn’t really matter anyway unless we see a massive sea-change in national opinion in the coming months or the federal government finds a way to not certify certain election results. Regardless of where individual candidates are at this moment, they’ll have the money to compete. Unlike the Republicans, the Dems do have a pet billionaire (JB Pritzker) and, I assume eventually for most of them, organized labor.

The Republican legislative leaders have tried to scrape and claw as much as they can, but they’re vastly outgunned. Senate Republican Leader John Curran raised just $75K in the second quarter. He spent $71K and reported having a bit more than $3 million in the bank. His caucus committee reported having $160K in the bank.

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Leader Curran has three Republican-held districts to defend in the Chicago media market that have all trended Democratic in the last three cycles. Depending how bad things get, he could be defending a couple, two or three more.

The Senate Democrats have a ton of money to do whatever they want. Senate President Don Harmon has about $20 million in his personal campaign account and $1.7 million in his caucus account.

Over in the House, Republican Leader Tony McCombie has at least four Democratic-trending or swingy districts to defend and just $1.3 million in her personal campaign account and another $363K in her caucus account so far.

In contrast, House Speaker Chris Welch had $11.4 million in his personal account and $1.2 million in his caucus account. Like Senate President Harmon, he has more than enough money already, but more is never enough when there’s so much out there, so those numbers will likely rise by November.

Rich Miller also publishes Capitol Fax, a daily political newsletter, and CapitolFax.com.

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Hillsboro grad, Springfield golfer Alex Eickhoff 2nd at state amateur

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Hillsboro grad, Springfield golfer Alex Eickhoff 2nd at state amateur


BLOOMINGTON — Springfield’s Alex Eickhoff nearly had a magical Thursday as he tied for second place in the 95th annual Illinois State Amateur Championship at Crestwicke Country Club.  

Eickhoff, a 2020 Hillsboro High School graduate and former standout on the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s men’s golf team, shot a 4-under-par 68 in Thursday’s third round and followed that with an even-par 71 to finish the three-day, four-round event 1-over 285. He tied for second with Bloomington’s Logan Stauffer.  

Eickhoff briefly took the lead through nine holes of his fourth round when he sat at 1-under par. Chicago’s Charlie Kulwin finished both of Thursday’s rounds under par and finished 2-under 282. He was the lone golfer to finish under par for the tournament.

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Eickhoff was The State Journal-Register’s Small School Boys Golfer of the year twice in his high school career: once as a freshman in 2016-17 and again as a senior in 2019-20. After high school, he golfed for the University of Minnesota for two years before transferring to SIUE.  

He began the tournament with a 3-over 74 on Tuesday and shaved off a stroke Wednesday with a 2-over 73. He closed out the event with an even-par 71 in Thursday’s final round.

Other area golfers who made the cut were Springfield’s Charles Hoogland (7-over 291, tied for 20th) and Jacksonville’s Brady Kaufmann (8-over 292, 25th). 

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The last golfer from The State Journal-Register’s coverage area to win the Illinois State Amateur was Jay Davis. Davis, a Jacksonville Routt graduate, won the 1991 and ‘92 tournaments. 

Contact Ryan Mahan: 788-1546, ryan.mahan@sj-r.com, Twitter.com/RyanMahanSJR.





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