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Illinois basketball's superstar freshman continues to rack up huge national accolades

The Illinois basketball team is poised to make a deep run in this year's NCAA tournament, and they will be led by a star freshman who continues to rake in major accolades
ByKellen Sherman|
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Mar 13, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Keaton Wagler (23) brings the ball up court against Wisconsin Badgers guard Andrew Rohde (7) during the second half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
Mar 13, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Keaton Wagler (23) brings the ball up court against Wisconsin Badgers guard Andrew Rohde (7) during the second half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

The fact that Illinois basketball freshman Keaton Wagler was an under-recruited three-star prospect out of high school is one of the most fascinating things to come from this college basketball season.

Wagler, a product of Shawnee, Kansas, was supposed to be a work-in-progress prospect for Brad Underwood and the Illini. He was supposed to be someone whom Illinois could take a chance on, develop, and see if he could become a key part of the roster down the road.

But in just one season with the Illini, Wagler burst onto the national scene while proving all of the doubters wrong. This young man went from being recruited by mid-majors like Northern Colorado and Kansas City to becoming a household name with the blue and orange.

Wagler has been an elite talent, winning the Big Ten Freshman of the Year award while also being a unanimous selection to the Big Ten All-Freshman team. But that wasn't the end for the future NBA lottery pick's accolades, as he was also just named to the AP All-American Second-Team.

Wagler becomes one of three players from the Big Ten to be named to the AP All-American Second-Team, joining the likes of Purdue's Braden Smith and Michigan State's Jeremy Fears. Wagler is also the second-highest scorer out of this group of five, trailing behind North Carolina's Caleb Wilson, who averages 19.8 points per game.

Will Keaton Wagler's greatness lead Illinois to the promised land this March

The Illinois basketball team drew an interesting path through the NCAA tournament that is littered with storylines for fans to sink their teeth into. Whether it's the return of Fran McCaffrey in Illinois' game vs. Penn, a possible rematch against North Carolina that's 20+ years in the making, or anything in between, Illinois' March is about to be must-see TV.

This tournament will be the perfect stage for Wagler to step foot on, and he will certainly get his points in some capacity. But can he and the rest of the Illini sustain their offensive prowess for a full 40 minutes in five straight games, especially after giving up two 15-point leads against Wisconsin in the Big Ten Tournament?

Obviously, this is not out of the realm of possibility. This team can certainly get back on track and use their early exit in their conference tournament as motivation to propel them forward. But the problem is that they've been failing to close out big games, keeping it dangerously close with Maryland in the final game of the regular season, while also completely giving up when facing the aforementioned Badgers.

If Underwood and Co. keep this trend up when the NCAA tournament starts, they will surely get caught. We should expect Wagler to continue his meteoric rise to stardom and for him to do everything he can to keep his team in games. But if Illinois can't shake this monkey off its back from the previous two games, then it's going to be a very short March for them.

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