Jason Jakstys’ second year in Champaign never got the runway it needed.
The 6-foot-10 Illinois forward missed the final 19 games of the 2025-26 season after suffering a blood clot in his left shoulder, and he was later diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome, a condition that occurs when a blood vessel is compressed near the shoulder and can limit blood flow to the arm. That injury cut short what was otherwise his first taste of live college basketball after sitting out his initial season as a redshirt.
Before the shutdown, Jakstys had logged nine appearances and 48 total minutes. In that stretch, he averaged 1.3 points, 1.9 rebounds and 0.4 blocks per game while shooting 4-for-5 from the field and 4-for-6 at the free throw line.
Most of those minutes came in lopsided wins, but there were a couple of more meaningful cameos mixed in. Jakstys got a first-half run against No. 11 Texas Tech and Maryland, and he flashed a little more of what he could offer in limited bursts.
His best statistical night came in the season opener against Jackson State, when he grabbed nine rebounds in just 12 minutes. He also reached a career-high four points in 10 minutes against Florida Gulf Coast Missouri and Rutgers, and he blocked at least one shot in four of his nine games.
For Illinois, the next step is about turning those brief snapshots into something more substantial once he’s healthy again.
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