March 10, 2026

Keaton Wagler has officially joined a rare distinction of University of Illinois men’s basketball players who have shined above everybody else in the conference in their first year on the scene.

The 6-foot-6 guard, who just turned 19 years old, last month was named the 2026 Big Ten Freshman of the Year honoree along with being a first-team All-Big Ten selection. Wagler, who finished the 2025-26 regular season averaging 17.9 points per game, 4.9 rebounds per game and 4.3 assists per game while shooting 44.7 percent from the field and 41 percent from 3-point range, joins just four other Illinois players since 1986 to earn the Freshman of the Year honor (Corey Bradford, 1999; Brian Cook, 2000; D.J. Richardson in 2010 and Kofi Cockburn in 2020).

Wagler, a Shawnee, Kansas native, was ranked just 150th overall by 247Sports.com and 179th overall by Rivals.com in the 2025 recruiting class while having just two high-major offers before committing to Brad Underwood’s Illinois program.

In what is being recognized as one of the most talented freshman classes in college basketball history, Wagler is one of only two first-year players in the nation averaging at least 18 points, five rebounds, and four assists on the season, along with Duke's Cameron Boozer.

Wagler was also named to the first-team All-Big Ten lists by the league’s coaches and selected media. Along with Wagler on the first-team All-Big Ten list was Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg, who was named the league’s player of the year, Iowa’s Bennett Stirtz, Jeremy Fears Jr. of Michigan State, Pryce Sandfort of Nebraska and Purdue’s Braden Smith. Michigan swept the rest of the individual awards as Wolverines center Aday Mara took home the Defensive Player of the Year honors and Michigan’s Dusty May took home the Big Ten Coach of the Year honors.

Wagler has scored in double figures in each of the last 23 games, and team-leading 28 times on the season. He ranks fifth in the Big Ten in 3-point field goal shooting. Wagler has nine 20+-point games this season, one away from matching the Illini freshman record of 10 set last year by Kasparas Jakucionis, who is now a rookie after being selected in the first round of the 2025 National Basketball Association Draft by the Miami Heat.

Wagler has netted 555 points on the season, shattering the Illinois freshman season scoring record. He broke the previous mark of 494 points, set by Cory Bradford in 1998-99 and equaled by Jakucionis last year.

Wagler’s highlights of the 2025-26 season included a two-week stretch where he scored 34 on Feb. 10 vs. Wisconsin after he posted 46 points inside Mackey Arena at Purdue on Jan. 24. After the performance at Purdue, Wagler again led all scorers with 28 points at Nebraska, including 23 in the second half on just six shots - to lead the Illini to a 78-69 win at Pinnacle Bank Arena. By doing all this in a three-game stretch, Wagler joined Kiwane Garris as the only two freshmen in Illini history with multiple games of 30 points or more.

Wagler has earned a conference-leading six Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors this season. His six awards are the second-most in school history behind Kofi Cockburn’s seven in 2019-20.

Wagler has been named to the Naismith Trophy Late-Season Team, and was added to Midseason Watch Lists for the Wooden Award (Top 20) and Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award (Top 10). He was also named the Oscar Robertson High-Major Player of the Month for January by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association and is expected to be in the mix for first-team All-America selections later this month.

Illinois senior guard Kylan Boswell was named to the All-Big Ten Defensive Team and David Mirkovic joined Wagler on the Big Ten’s All-Freshman Team. Mirkovic is one of only three freshmen in the nation, along with Duke's Cameron Boozer and North Carolina's Caleb Wilson, averaging at least 12.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists.

A two-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week, Mirkovic leads the Illini and ranks among the Big Ten leaders in total rebounds, seven double-doubles (nine), 2.3 offensive rebounds per game (nine). Mirkovic is also fourth on the team with a scoring average of 13.2 points per game.

Boswell is the Illini’s active career leader in points with eight 20-point games and 39 career double-digit scoring games at Illinois. Boswell has eclipsed the 20-point mark eight times over the last two years, including five times this season.