Kylan Boswell signs with Charlotte Hornets as an undrafted free agent

Champaign’s hometown hero is set to take his talents to the biggest stage in basketball.

Kylan Boswell, a 2025-26 Big Ten All-Defensive Team selection, fell just short of being selected in the 2026 NBA Draft.

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However, he caught the eye of the Charlotte Hornets front office and was signed to a two-way contract as an undrafted free agent—giving him a chance to take his game to the next level.

The combination of Boswell’s physicality and defensive grit is exactly where the NBA appeal comes from. He’s only 6-foot-1, but his 226-pound frame allows him to hold his own against bigger guards.

His natural playmaking instincts and high basketball IQ at the guard position project him as a valuable secondary playmaker, and his maturity and eagerness to grow give the 21-year-old a real upside to battle for rotational minutes as he continues to develop his perimeter shooting.

His college basketball journey was certainly one to be remembered.

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The Champaign native spent his first two collegiate years with the Arizona Wildcats, earning a Pac-12 All-Freshman Honorable Mention selection in his first year.

He racked up 50 steals in his sophomore year, establishing himself as one of the NCAA’s most reliable defensive anchors before entering the transfer portal and ultimately deciding to come back home and play for the Orange and Blue.

In his junior year, his first as a Fighting Illini player, Boswell stepped into the starting five immediately and played 34 of Illinois’ 35 games. His bulky frame presented opposing Big Ten guards with a real obstacle on the perimeter every game.

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On the other side of the court, he spaced the floor, bullied his way into the paint and rarely turned the ball over, eventually becoming a reliable floor general for the Illini.

In the NCAA Tournament Round of 32 loss to Kentucky, Boswell carried the offensive load with 23 points and six assists. He finished the year averaging 12.3 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists.

Kylan…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/kylan-boswell-signs-charlotte-hornets-224216542.html

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Publish date : 2026-06-25 22:42:00

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