Grading Every Illinois Basketball Player From the 2025-26 Final Four Season

With the 2025-26 season – a campaign that will go down as one of the best in program history – officially in the books for Illinois, it’s only right to zoom out and take a look back. From a team perspective, considering the Illini reached their first Final Four in 21 years, there wasn’t much else the Illinois faithful could ask for (although Illini Nation surely wouldn’t have been opposed to two more wins).

From an individual standpoint, there was one historic campaign – that of freshman Keaton Wagler – and a handful of excellent ones. Without further ado: the Illinois on SI Illini player grades for the 2025-26 season (rotational players only):

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Grading every Illinois starter’s 2025-26 season

Apr 4, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Keaton Wagler (23) dribbles the ball against UConn Huskies guard Silas Demary Jr. (2) in the second half during a semifinal of the Final Four of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Keaton Wagler: A+

From an individual accolades perspective, Wagler did it all: All-Big Ten, All-American, Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year. Naturally, his numbers were spectacular: 17.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game.

Wagler could not have put together a better 2025-26 season. He was the primary creator on a loaded Illini roster and was the key reason Illinois owned the top-rated offense (per KenPom) for the majority of the year. And by the end of the campaign, he had even blossomed into a valuable defender.

Kylan Boswell: B

Fighting through a midseason injury, Kylan Boswell quickly worked himself back into the lineup and proceeded to give the Illini everything – and then some. A man on a mission (especially in the NCAA Tournament), Boswell, a Champaign native, poured his heart out on the floor. Despite being listed at 6-foot-2 (he might not be a hair over 6-foot), Boswell averaged 4.0 rebounds and wound up being Illinois’…

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Publish date : 2026-04-05 21:37:00

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