Jacob Grandison likes to think of himself as a video game character. You build the character from scratch, arm him with the necessary skills and physical characteristics, then put him to the test.

That perspective has worked for him. Grandison, who is from Oakland, Calif., progressed from a lightly recruited prep school prospect in New Hampshire to a break-out star in the Patriot League as a sophomore at Holy Cross, to finally one of the leaders on a surging Illinois squad.

Grandison built himself into the player he envisioned, adding new pieces each year to his skill set, and he’s getting results on a big stage.

“It’s kind of like in a video game where you put so much time into your character and when it’s doing well, it inspires you to keep putting in the work,” Grandison said. “You have a good game you are inspired to work out the next day and keep stacking and stacking.”

Over the summer, Grandison played for the Finnish National Team. He has dual citizenship dual-citizenship through his mom, who was born in Finland.

He’s now having a breakout season as a senior. In the Illini’s first 11 games, Grandison is averaging 12.8 points and knocking down more than half of his three-point attempts.

Off the court, he’s pursuing his master’s degree in management in the Gies College of Business. Through it all, Grandison has gained knowledge, a strong work ethic, and leadership ability according to Illini coach Brad Underwood.

“Jake’s got a lot of wisdom about him and he’s very smart,” Underwood said. “He’s a great, great ambassador for what our program is trying to be about and has been about. The guys respect him in the locker room.”

That maturity carries over to the press room. Grandison chooses his words carefully, taking a short pause to think about a question before answering it. When told about Underwood’s comment by reporters, he was somewhat taken aback.

“I appreciate it because I don’t hear those things because he is always pushing us. It’s kind of funny to hear that,” Grandison said. “I don’t know, I live in the moment, so when you ask me these questions, I have to take a moment to reflect.”

Grandison inherited much of his lowkey personality from his parents, he said. His mother told him it’s a common trait of the Finnish, who have a reputation for reticence, thoughtfulness, and unemotional behavior.

In any case, it’s all Grandison’s way of keeping his head down, working hard, and staying focused. He also learned from playing alongside former Illini All-American Ayo Dosunmu, who is well-known for his businesslike approach to the game.

“Jake has learned a lot from Ayo,” Underwood said. “His ability to prepare. Here’s a young man who is getting his master’s degree and is working out and trying to become a pro. He took notes from Ayo.”

It’s tough to match the focus of Dosumnu, who was as dialed in as any Illinois player in recent memory. Grandison calls it an obsessive drive, and he’s determined to follow the same path that led Dosunmu to great success at Illinois and his NBA dream with the Chicago Bulls.

“Keeping the main thing the main thing,” Grandison said. “That’s probably the main thing I took from Ayo. Basketball seemed like the only thing that was important to Ayo. I’m at a turning point soon where this is how I’m going to provide for my family and keep myself stable. That perspective makes it easier.”

So, Grandison builds his entire day around his workouts. There’s not much leisure time or any of the other stuff that distracts from his goals.

He lives a much more lowkey lifestyle this year, Grandison said. He’s been called “California cool” by Underwood and his teammates jokingly call him the “fun uncle,”

“I don’t do anything but go to practice, come home, take care of my dog, and handle my business,” Grandison said. “ I don’t party. I just think about my next workout, think about what I’m going to eat that night and that’s it. I’m focused on winning. The only thing I can control is the controllable.”

The winning part is beginning to take shape. After starting the season 2-2, Illinois has won 7-of-8 including a convincing win over Mizzou in the annual Braggin’ Rights Game. Grandison has averaged 14.6 points over the last six games while shooting a lights-out 52.6 percent from three-point range.

The Illini have one nonconference game left, hosting Florida A&M at State Farm Center on Wednesday, before diving into the bulk of the Big Ten slate on January 2 at Minnesota.

The Illini would love to make a deep run in March after a disappointing ending to the season last year at the hands of Loyola in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. But Grandison isn’t looking more than a day ahead.

“I live life one day at a time, one moment at a time,” he said.