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HOUSTON – Keaton Wagler’s eyes flirted with the rim and his feet appeared to follow suit. The Illinois freshman guard dribbled past the 3-point line and suddenly spun to his left, sending his defender stumbling backward as if propelled by an invisible force.
Iowa guard Isaia Howard scrambled to his feet, but by then Wagler was launching a stepback 3-pointer that gave Illinois a second-half lead.
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That misdirection is part of Wagler’s magic: Just when you think you know what to expect, he shapeshifts.
In-depth: How Keaton Wagler has risen from freshman unknown to superstar
For the entire second half of Saturday’s NCAA Tournament Elite Eight game, Wagler traded buckets with Iowa star Bennett Stirtz — the Hawkeyes’ well-traveled veteran leader and the Illini’s star freshman, both players who were once undervalued during their basketball careers, delivering for their teams in an Elite Eight throwdown.
In the end, Wagler won the duel. Behind his 25 points, Illinois downed Iowa, 71-59, and advanced to the program’s first Final Four in 21 years. Wagler was named the South Region’s Most Outstanding Player.
Following an inefficient shooting night in Illinois’ Sweet 16 win over Houston, in which Wagler shot 4-of-14 from the floor but grabbed a career-high 12 rebounds, he transformed back into a scoring machine down the stretch against Iowa.
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Illinois outscored Iowa in the second half 43-27 and held the Hawkeyes scoreless for the final two minutes, with Wagler scoring 14 points in the second half alone.
“Once he finds his rhythm, it’s like a flow state,” said Illinois assistant coach Tyler Underwood. “You can always tell when he’s starting to get into it. It takes him a little bit of time but he just has a unique ability to be in the present moment and be able to live with mistakes and live with the outcome because he knows he’s loved, and he knows how hard he works.”
The telltale signs Wagler is about to go off, according to…
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Publish date : 2026-03-29 03:57:00
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