Ked's Recruiting Roundup - From Overlooked to Unstoppable: Keaton Wagler’s Hot Play Fuels Illinois Momentum and Inspires 2026 Commit Ethan Brown

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Sr. Recruiting Analyst

February 5, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Joe Clark/IlliniGuys)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Illinois freshman guard Keaton Wagler has become one of the most talked-about players in college basketball following a stunning 46-point performance at Purdue and a 28-point effort at Nebraska on Sunday.

Fans, media, and analysts across social media have continued to dissect the record-breaking outing against the Boilermakers, which marked the highest-scoring performance by an Illinois freshman in program history and one of the top single-game scoring totals nationally this season.

Among those paying close attention . . .

 

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Podcasts

561 Illini Smash Northwestern Push Win Streak to 12

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560 Illini Defensive Coordinator Search

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559 - #9 Illini Cruise Over #5 Nebraska 78-69

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1.30.26 - Keaton Wagler's Historic Season & More

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558 Illini Win Lifts the Streak to 10

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557 Sturdy & Stevens on the Keaton Wagler Game

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556 Illini Defeat Purdue 88-82 in the Keaton Wagler Game

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1.23.26 - Illinois vs Purdue - Top 15 Showdown

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555 - CJ Moore Talks Keaton Wagler, the NBA Draft & Illini Tourney Expectations

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554 - Illini Flush Terrapins 89-70 for 8th Win in a Row

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553 Illini Beat Minnesota Winning Streak Up to 7

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1.16.26 - Illini Hoops Update, Portal Kombat & CFP Future

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552 - Illini Break 3-Game Losing Streak at Northwestern

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551 Illini Road Win Over Iowa 75-69

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1.9.26 - Portal Kombat, Illini Women & A'ja Wilson & Illini vs Iowa Coming Up

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