Illinois standout Keaton Wagler announces he will enter the NBA draft

Keaton Wagler Aims for Pro Basketball After Stellar Freshman Year

Keaton Wagler, a promising 19-year-old player from the University of Illinois, announced his intentions to enter the NBA draft this past Saturday.

During his freshman season, Wagler participated in 37 games, where he showcased impressive stats: 19.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game. He also shot 44.5 percent from the field, with nearly 40 percent accuracy from three-point range.

At 6 feet 6 inches, Wagler achieved the third-highest scoring season in the program’s history, totaling 663 points. He earned accolades as the Big Ten Freshman of the Year and was named a consensus Second Team All-American.

His performance significantly contributed to the Fighting Illini’s journey to the Final Four for the first time since 2005, despite a tough 71-62 loss to an intercollegiate team, where he scored 20 points but struggled with a 7-of-16 shooting record.

After the game, Wagler commented, “I felt calm. I just missed the shot, which happens a lot… I tried to stay confident and keep shooting. I believe I’m a good shooter.” He also emphasized the bond he formed with his teammates throughout the season, saying they felt like family.

In reflecting on the season’s end, he noted, “When you go through something like this every day with a group for this long and you love them, it’s hard when it ends.” He admitted he would feel sad when it was all over.

Interestingly, Wagler didn’t start the season as a frontrunner in college basketball, yet he’s now widely projected as a top-10 pick in the upcoming draft. Illinois head coach Brad Underwood expressed his frustration with the ongoing underdog narrative surrounding Wagler. He stated, “I’m tired of hearing about his high school ranking. He’s not that same player anymore.”