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This story originally published March 19, 2026.
From completely unrecognized to a superstar.
That has been the story of Illinois men’s basketball freshman guard Keaton Wagler, who went from an under-recruited 3-star prospect to the Big Ten Freshman of the Year and likely NBA draft lottery pick.
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Wagler has led veteran-laden, European-influenced Illinois to the 2026 Final Four. He’s averaging a team-leading 17.9 points, breaking the freshman record previously held by Cory Bradford (1998-99). He scored 25 points in Illinois’ Elite Eight win over Iowa, leading the Illini to their first Final Four sicne 2005. He also leads the team with 4.3 assists per game and is third on the team with 5.0 rebounds per game.
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Perhaps most notably, he leads the team in minutes played, with 33.8 per game.
His immediate success has surprised even the people who have been in his corner since Day 1, such as his high school coach David Birch at Shawnee Mission Northwest (Kan.) High School.
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“The only thing that surprises me is he looks the same at Illinois as he did in the Sunflower League in Kansas,” Birch told USA TODAY Sports. “The way he’s playing now is the way he played for us for four years. The only thing that surprises me is how quickly his game translated.”
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See the best photos of Illinois basketball’s run to 2026 Final Four
Illinois Fighting Illini center Zvonimir Ivisic (44) dunks the ball against the Penn Quakers in the second half of a first round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena.
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See the best photos of Illinois basketball’s run to 2026 Final Four
Illinois Fighting Illini center Zvonimir Ivisic (44) dunks the ball against the Penn Quakers in the second half of a first round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena.
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See the best photos of Illinois basketball’s run to 2026 Final Four
Illinois Fighting Illini guard Andrej…
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Publish date : 2026-04-02 15:29:00
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