It was a bit of a disappointing result on Tuesday night, as the Illinois basketball team fell short of Texas Tech.
This was a matchup of two ranked teams looking to get an early marquee win. The Illini were without two of our main characters, as David Mirkovic and Jake Davis remained on the mend. That doesn’t stop Illinois’ talent from rising to the top, though.
Brad Underwood has an embarrassment of riches when it comes to talent on the Illinois roster. Quentin Coleman might be the best of them all. Even in a loss to the Red Raiders, Coleman dazzled on the floor and gave the program hope. What he does for this team and the style of play has so many similarities to former Illini Keaton Wagler.
As a freshman, Wagler would hold his own in big games, even when the results didn’t go in favor of Illinois. Coleman showed that grit on Tuesday night. He led Illinois in scoring, finishing with 19 points, five rebounds, four assists, and two steals. This great scoring night came on 7-of-9 from the field and 5-of-6 from three-point range.
Wagler always had the knack for hitting big shots to either win or keep Illinois in the game. Coleman’s second half against Texas Tech is what got the Illini back in the game.
Coleman finished the final 20 minutes with a stat line of 14 points, three rebounds, and three assists while shooting a perfect 5-of-5 from the field and 4-of-4 from three-point range. This included him keeping us alive in the final two minutes by hitting three-pointer after three-pointer.
The style of play is very similar between Coleman and Wagler, too. They are aggressive toward the basket and can take hits. They are hustling all over the court. They can get to the free throw line. They don’t give up on plays. Both players are also quality defenders.
While the eye test says Quentin Coleman and Keaton Wagler are similar, the numbers for the Illinois basketball team tell the same story
It is fun to watch Coleman, just like it was fun to see Wagler explode onto the scene. Wagler was a surprise, as he was a sub-100 recruit coming into the program.
Coleman’s rise isn’t sharp because he started toward the top. He was the Gatorade Player of the Year in the state of Missouri, just like Wagler was in Kansas.
What is great is that the stats tell a story about the similarities between the two great guards.
As a freshman, Wagler averaged 17.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game. He also shot 44.5% from the field and 39.7% from three-point range.
Early in his first season at Illinois, Coleman’s numbers are similar. He is currently averaging 17.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game. He is shooting 60.2% from the field and 41.2% from three-point range.
Coleman is only through three games at Illinois, but the similarities between him and Wagler are striking. What is crazy is that Coleman already looks like what Wagler was with nearly a full season under his belt. Just imagine how good this kid is going to be come February and March. The sky is the limit.
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