PHILADELPHIA — Keaton Wagler is indispensable for Illinois.
Facing the strongest of the strongest, they could not survive without him. He’s the kind of player who can fit into the game. His graceful movement on the court, high basketball IQ, elite shooting ability and ideal stance length of 6 feet 6 inches provided a spark to the team that went 10-0.
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The only problem? He is 18 years old and a freshman. He got into foul trouble Saturday night, being charged with his fourth foul just 30 seconds into the second half. Due to his inconsistent playing time, Wagler was forced to sit on the bench with a crazy look on his face that was “hungry for more playing time.”
As a recruit, he may have flown too far under the radar. You may need to go through multiple tests to realize it. But at the start of the new year, after taking on several top Final Four opponents and playing just his third conference game of the season, Wagler has firmly cemented himself as a fixture in the 2025-2026 Illinois program.
Illinois’ need for Wagler was evident in the program’s first game at the Palestra since 2003, when the Illini avoided a 73-65 loss to Penn State.
Wagler’s influence
At this stage of the season, Wagler often seems to be calling the shots, even though he was surprised by it all a few months ago. Wagler provided a much-needed spark in the first half, going on a 10-0 run that provided Plestra with a dominant orange and blue complexion.
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Then something happened. Illinois head coach Brad Underwood was forced to eliminate wunderkind Wagler early in the second half. During this period, Illinois’ lead was cut to 10 points after leading 41-29 in the first half.
However, Illinois guard Kylan Boswell, the program’s anchor, was able to hold down the fort and maintain the lead, but it didn’t feel comfortable at times. Boswell scored a game-high 18 points. David Milkovich had a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Obviously, the contribution of brothers Stojakovic and Ivesic also contributed to this victory.
Zvonimir Ivicic seems to have at least one big block per game.
Wagler scored 16 points, 2 rebounds and 3 assists. When he returned to the game late in the second half, the impact was subtle but noticeable. Wagler drew several key fouls in the final minutes of the game, keeping Penn State within reasonable reach.
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There are 5:24 left in the game. Wagler fouled. The 13-point lead expanded by 2 points.
There are 4 minutes and 37 seconds left in the game. Wagler fouled again. The 12-point lead expanded to 2 points.
Sure, the numbers don’t look that great, but every foul was crucial and a sizable lead was maintained to preserve the victory.
Statistics filler
Milkovich: 10 offensive rebounds, including 5 offensive rebounds.
Three Illinois players were in foul trouble with four fouls: Milkovich, Wagler and Big Z.
Tomislav Ivicic was held scoreless on the night.
Next
Illinois will return to Champaign to take on Rutgers on Thursday, January 8 at 7:30 p.m.