Good Morning, Illini Nation: Trusting the process

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Welcome to “Good Morning, Illini Nation,” your daily dose of college basketball news from Illini beat writer and AP Top 25 voter Scott Richey. He’ll offer up insights every morning on Brad Underwood’s team and college basketball at large:

Jason Jakstys committed to Illinois in July 2023 knowing that the 2024-25 season wasn't going to mean much time on the court. Maybe any with Tomislav Ivisic and Morez Johnson Jr. on the roster.

But Jakstys understood the path before him. That as he gained experience — and much needed weight and strength — he could develop into the type of player the Illini staff envisioned when they pursued the 6-foot-10 Yorkville forward in the Class of 2024.

"Jason maybe became the waffle eating champion of our team via Adam Fletcher in the weight gain process," Illinois coach Brad Underwood said. "Fletch just says, 'More syrup,' and Jason just keeps eating them. That's all part of his process. He's going to be a terrific player down the road. He does a lot of really good things now."

Jake Davis was at the other end of the spectrum this offseason, dropping 25 pounds after arriving in Champaign following a single season at Mercer. The process was — and remains — different for the 6-6 forward compared to Jakstys, but he's followed his own path just like his freshman teammate.

"Jake is a guy that I believe in," Underwood said. "I believe in him. He is a really, really good shooter. You can see his ability to understand winning, which he did in high school. He's very high IQ. He picks things up very quickly. Right there with Ben (Humrichous) as a shooter. He gets it off really quick. He's figured out how to play."