Which Illinois basketball players bear the brunt of the Keaton Wagler departure

The Illinois basketball program just came off one of the greatest runs in team history.

Making it to the Final Four is something Illini fans should cherish because it doesn’t happen often. We were over 20 years removed from the last time we made it this far in the NCAA tournament.

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A big part of that run was Keaton Wagler. His freshman season matched the greatness of the 2026-27 squad. Sadly, that big part is now gone, drafted No. 5 overall to the Los Angeles Clippers.

Who is going to replace the great guard, though?

Let’s first start off with numbers. Wagler averaged 17.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game. Who steps up and takes over as Illinois’ leading scorer?

Honestly, I think you are looking at two players here. David Mirkovic has a chance to see a bump in numbers. I also believe incoming transfer portal addition Stefan Vaaks could have that type of scoring impact.

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My bet is on Mirkovic. I am all-in on him this season. He is going to be looked to more this season with the departures, and with more opportunities comes more points with his 37.5% three-point shooting.

Wagler was third on the team with 5.1 rebounds per game. To replace that, Illinois needs a guard to attack the glass like Wagler was able to do.

Again, I think this is where Vaaks could come into play. He is a bigger guard than Wagler, and I think Brad Underwood is going to use him as such. Vaaks only had 2.5 rebounds as a freshman, but with how Illinois plays, he will be focused on crashing the glass more. Don’t be surprised if he gets to around 5.0 rebounds or more per game.

Where are the assists coming from? Wagler led the Illini with 4.2 assists per game last season.

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If you are looking at a pure point guard, you aren’t going to find one on the roster next season. I have already mentioned I am high on this kid coming into the upcoming campaign, so I think this is Mirkovic’s time to shine.

I think Illinois has a baby Nikola Jokic on our hands. Mirkovic has a golden…

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Publish date : 2026-06-28 11:12:00

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