“You can’t stop him, you can only hope to contain him.” – Dan Patrick
Keaton Wagler’s performance this season has been nothing short of a revelation. This isn’t news. This is not a hot topic.
The freshman certainly lives up to the ever-increasing inflated praise at every level.
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He’s not the flashy AAU product that college basketball fans have always been opposed to.
He’s not your typical, pampered, one-and-done lottery prospect with a 40-inch vertical and a bunch of trainers.
By all accounts, he’s a good kid from a strong family who went from a fringe power conference prospect to one of the top linebackers in the country as a true freshman.
Illinois hasn’t had a player like Keaton Wagler in generations.
Freshman Ayo Dosunmu was a Day 1 starter, averaging 14 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists per game while shooting 43% from the field, 35% from three-point range and 70% from the free throw line. This stat line encapsulates the hope of a desperate fan base to rise from the ashes of irrelevance.
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Freshman George Bezanishvili averaged 12.5 points, grabbed 5 rebounds and scored 35 points in overtime against Rutgers, setting a freshman single-game scoring record. He’s an unknown in Orlando Antigua and a precursor to Antigua’s next big man.
Freshman Kofi Cockburn averaged 13 points, 9 rebounds and over 1 block per game. He became the most dominant center in program history.
Other true freshmen, including Adam Miller, Andre Curbelo, Skye Clark and Jaden Epps, all made varying degrees of impact during the Underwood era.
Keaton Wagler is nothing like a standout freshman.
Wagler represents the infinite ceiling.
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Conventional basketball logic holds that a point guard with game experience, maturity, good free throw shooting and clutch shooting is the key to success in March.
Illinois has one such guy: senior guard Kellan Boswell.
The loss seemed significant when Boswell was injured before the Maryland game. This is the seed killer of the future. The blow will negatively impact the Illini’s upcoming challenging games against Purdue, Michigan State and Nebraska.
Then a funny thing happened at Mackey Arena.
Playing without their unofficial captain and senior leadership, the No. 11 Illini defeated the No. 4 Boilers 88-82.
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They did it because Keaton Wagler brought them there.
Illinois had a statement win this season and they exceeded expectations.
Wagler’s 46 The points set up Illinois in a tight battle between two teams with clear national championship expectations. his 9 Set a record from beyond the arc and put an exclamation point on his ceiling.
Now let’s kill the NBA dragon.
There is a very stupid part of Illinois fans that will say Wagler needs to return to Illinois for his sophomore season. They’ll say he needs to bulk up and improve his shooting because the NBA is filled with bizarre athleticism.
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To those fans, what I want to say is: tell me you don’t watch the NBA, but don’t tell me you don’t watch the NBA.
With the influx of European players and the NIL keeping many talented college players in school longer, the NBA has become more of a skills game. Yes, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Anthony Edwards are all great running and jumping athletes who are physical in one-on-one situations.
But if we were to fill out the top 10 players in the league, they would include Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic and Jayson Tatum.
The best team of the past 15 years, the Golden State Warriors, was built around technicians, not athletes.
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The Spurs dynasty was built around skill players, not players with physical abnormalities.
In other words, Wagler is the perfect guard for today’s technology-driven NBA.
McGee’s Miracle puts him squarely in the F tier.
It’s not just the number of points.
It’s not just superior consistency.
It’s the indifference with which it happens.
Keaton Wagler plays basketball with an instinctive confidence that doesn’t show up in screaming celebrations or rim-rocking bravado. He’s doing everything the same as before, which is a big reason why Illinois’ famously pearl-clutching fans embraced him quickly and thoroughly.
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Enjoy the performance of Keaton F. Wagler. While Wagler’s 16 points, five rebounds, four assists, 39 percent 3-point shooting and 82 percent free throw shooting can be replicated, his impact as a true freshman goes far beyond the numbers.
His evolution and development is a testament to Brad Underwood and his staff. During the recruiting process, Keaton Wagler will join Terrance F. Shannon Jr., Will F. Riley, Kasparas F. Yakousionis and Ayo F. Dosunmu as witnesses at the Ubben Altar.
But above all, this season is a testament to the young man himself. This proves that the recruiting service doesn’t set a player’s cap; the player sets their cap. Wagler chose the right school. Illinois selected right guard to pair with Kellan Boswell.
Boswell was an early evangelist of Wagler’s talent. The Champagne man guards Wagler every day in training and has no hesitation in praising his virtues.
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If Mihajlo Petrovich had been available earlier in the offseason, maybe we would never have gone through this decision. Maybe none of this would be possible if Illinois had accepted Jeremy Fiers’ commitment, retained Skye Clark, or convinced the Lady Salles to turn down the Blue Devils.
The road not traveled is always fascinating. But not nearly as fascinating as the 18-year-old supernova who led the Illini to a top-10 ranking.
The 2024 Illini make it to the Elite Eight. They exorcised a lot of demons from the Underwood era.
In 2026, the Illini once again have no reason to fear the ghost.
